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http://www.archive.org/details/eveningschoolinc24seyb 


BULLETIN  No.  24. 


BUREAU  OF  EDUCATIONAL  RESEARCH 
COLLEGE  OF  EDUCATION 

THE   EVENING   SCHOOL   IN 
COLONIAL   AMERICA 

By 

Robert  Francis  Seybolt 

Associate  Professor  of  the  History  of  Education 
University   of  Illinois 


PRICE  SO  CENTS 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS,  URBANA 

1925 


INTRODUCTORY  STATEMENT 

In  issuing  this  account  ot  the  Evening  Schools  of 
Colonial  America,  the  Bureau  ot  Educational  Research  is 
serving  merely  in  the  capacity  of  publisher.  The  pains- 
taking search  for  information  relative  to  the  practices  in 
evening  schools  and  the  preparation  of  the  report  ot  the 
investigation  is  entirely  the  work  ot  Professor  Seybolt. 

Through  the  publication  ot  this  bulletin  important 
authentic  information  about  the  evening  schools  in  colonial 
America  is  made  available.  x'\s  there  was  no  systematic 
attempt  to  preserve  tacts  relative  to  our  early  educational 
history,  investigations  of  this  type  render  a  distinct  service  to 
historians  of  education  and  to  others  interested  in  the  de- 
velopment ot  our  present  schools. 

Walter  S.  Monroe,  Director, 
February  11,  1925.  Bureau  of  Educational  Research. 


I 


t 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface 7 

Chapter  I.  Early  Establishments 9 

Chapter  II.  The  School  Term,  Seasons,  and  Hours 13 

Chapter  III.  The  Curriculum 21 

Chapter  IV.  Methods  of  Instruction 33 

Chapter  V.  Tuition  Fees 42 

Chapter  VI.  The  "School-House" 46 

Chapter  VII.  The  Schoolmasters 49 

Chapter  VIII.  The  Students 55 

Chapter  IX.  Conclusion 58 

Appendix  A.  Illustrative  Evening  School  Announcements.  60 

Appendix  B.  One  Hundred  Typical  Evening  School 

Curricula   65 


i 


PREFACE 

This  account  of  the  evening  schools  in  the  x^merican 
colonies  is  based  on  verifiable  sources, — the  newspapers. 
Nothing  has  been  "read  into"  the  records;  they  tell  their 
story  without  urging.  That  some  ot  the  schools  may  have 
enjoyed  an  ephemeral  existence  does  not  detract  from  the 
value  of  the  evidence.  The  large  number  announced  in  the 
advertisements  of  the  period  indicates  the  importance  of  the 
institution. 

Only  a  few  passing  references  will  be  made,  in  the  first 
chapter,  to  the  evening  schools  of  New  Netherland.  They 
must  be  mentioned  because  they  seem  to  have  been  the  first 
in  colonial  America.  The  Dutch  evening  schools  were  not 
the  progenitors  of  the  evening  schools  in  the  English  col- 
onies; they  were  merely  precursors. 


CHAPTER  I 
EARLY  ESTABLISHMENTS 

The  evening  school  in  the  American  colonies  is  not  a  well-known 
institution.  Its  existence  has  remained  hidden  in  sources  not  readily 
available  for  examination.  The  evening  school  occupied  a  prominent 
position  in  the  educational  life  of  the  period,  and,  therefore,  deserves 
more  than  passing  mention.  With  the  view  of  making  its  records 
more  accessible  to  the  student  of  early  American  education,  this  study 
will  present  a  somewhat  detailed,  yet  condensed,  source-account  of 
its  essential  features. 

Available  records  indicate  that  the  first  evening  schools  in 
colonial  x^merica  were  those  of  New  Netherland.  Evening  instruction 
enjoyed  a  well-established  position  in  the  institutional  life  of  the 
Dutch  colonists.  The  earliest  reference  to  the  practice  is  contained 
in  the  "Instructions  and  Rules  for  Schoolmaster  Evert  Pietersen, 
drawn  up  by  the  Burgomasters  of  this  City"  (New  Amsterdam), 
dated  November  4,  1661.  In  one  section  of  these  instructions,  the 
following  appears:  "Besides  his  yearly  salary  he  shall  be  allowed  to 
demand  and  receive  from  every  pupil  quarterly  as  follows:  For  each 
child  whom  he  teaches  the  a  b  c,  spelling  and  reading,  30st;  for 
teaching  to  read  and  write,  SOst;  for  teaching  to  read,  write  and 
cipher,  60st;  from  those  who  come  in  the  evening  and  between  times 
pro  rata  a  fair  sum."^  A  record  of  November  17,  1668,  reveals  the 
fact  that  Wilhelmus  La  Montagne  kept  an  evening  school  both 
"winter  and  summer,"  a^J|j|cston."  Additional  early  references  to 
evening  schools,  and  pr^BBWis  similar  to  those  contained  in  the 
rules  for  Evert  Pietersen,i&|e  to  be  found  in  the  contracts  of  other 
Dutch  schoolmasters  subsequent  to  the  first  English  occupation.^ 

'Minutes  of  the  Orphan  Masters  of  New  Amsterdam  (Translated  bv  B.  Fernow. 
2v.    New  York,  1902,  1907),  II,  115-116. 

201de  Ulster  (Kingston,  N.  Y.,  1905-     ),  I,  237. 

^Jacob  Joosten,  Flatbush,  1670,  was  "to  receive  in  payment  of  A.B.  and  spelling, 
2  gl;  of  reading  and  writing  together,  2  gl.,  lOst;  for  evefiingschool,  readine  and  writ- 
ing, 3  gl."  (Flatbush  Town  Records,  105:207.  Cited  by  Kilpatrick,  W.  H.  The  Dutch 
Schools  of  New  Netherland  and  Colonial  New  York,  168.) 

Dirk  Storm  kept  an  evening  school  at  New  Lotts,  in  1681.  (Flatbush  Consistory 
Minutes,  49ff.    Cited  by  W.H.K.,  187.) 

See  Flatbush  Consistory  Minutes,  39ff.  (cited  by  W.H.K.,  172-173)  for  contract 
of  Jan  Tibout,  whose  service  at  Flatbush  began  on  Dec.  18,  1681. 

The  contract  of  Johannes  Van  Ekelen,  whose  term  of  service  at  Flatbush  began 
on  Oct.  1,  1682,  contains  the  following:   "from  those  who  attended  the  day  school,  for 

[9] 


Some  oi  the  Dutch  schools  continued,  for  a  time,  after  New  Nether- 
land  became  the  Royal  Province  of  New  York,  in  1674,  but  were 
gradually  replaced  by  those  of  the  English. 

The  evening  school  appeared  in  the  English  colony  of  New  York 
as  early  as  1690.  A  Harlem  apprenticeship-indenture  of  that  year 
contains  the  master's  promise  that  his  apprentice  "shall  have  the 
privelege  of  going  to  the  evening  school."^  An  early  reference  to  an 
evening  school  in  New  York  City  is  found  in  an  indenture  of  October 
1,  1698,  which  bound  the  master  to  give  the  apprentice  "his  winter's 
schooling."^  It  will  be  shown  later  that  "winter's  schooling"  referred, 
in  most  cases,  to  evening  schools.  A  more  definite  record  is  an  in- 
denture of  November  18,  1701,  which  contained  the  provision: 
"in  the  Evenings  to  go  to  School  each  Winter  to  the  End  he  may  be 
taught  to  write  and  read."^  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  only  sources 
of  information  concerning  the  evening  school  in  New  York,  in  the 
late  seventeenth,  and  early  eighteenth  centuries,  are  indentures  of 
apprenticeship.  The  writer  found  one  hundred  and  eight  New  York 
City  indentures,  of  the  years  1698-1727,  that  refer  to  the  practice 
of  sending  apprentices  to  evening  schools.  The  distribution,  in  time, 
of  this  large  number  of  separate  references  makes  it  safe  to  assume 
that  the  evening  school  was  an  accepted  institution  of  the  period 
mentioned.  Some  apprenticeship  records  indicate  definitely  that 
there  was  more  than  one  evening  school  in  New  York  City  ciuring 
this  period.  An  indenture  ot  October  17,  1705  contains  the  master's 
covenant  "to  lett  him  (the  apprentice)  have  in  Every  Winter  three 
Months  Learning  att  any  Evening  School  within  this  City,  and  to 
pay  for  the  same.'"^  Another  master  in  1720,  agreed  to  send  his 
apprentice  "One  Quarter  of  a  year  in  each  Year  of  the  said  Term  to  a 
good  Evening  School."^ 


a  speller,  or  reader,  three  guilders  a  quarter,  and  for  a  writer,  four  guilders.  From  those 
wTTo  attended  evening  school,  for  a  speller  or  reader,  four  guilders,  and  for  a  writer, 
six  guilders  shall  be  given."  (Flatbush  Consistory  Minutes,  57-59.  Cited  bv  W.H.K., 
174.) 

See  W.H.K.,  190-191,  for  a  brief  treatment  of  the  Dutch  evening  schools. 

•"Harlem  Records,  II,  529.  (Manuscript  folio,  owned  by  the  Title  Guarantee  and 
Trust  Company  of  New  York  City.) 

^Citty  of  N.Yorke  Indentures,  begun  February  19,  1694  and  ends  Jan.ye  29th 
1707,  47.  (Manuscript  folio,  preserved  at  the  citv  hall  of  New  York  City.)  See  also 
Harlem  Records,  II,  543;  Citv  of  N.Yorke  Indentures,  90,  81,  155;  Liber  29,  19,  7, 
31,  60,  67,  73,  117,  230,  for  indentures  of  1698-1724.  fManuscript  folio,  labeled  "Liber 
29,"  containing  "Indentures  Oct.  2,  1718  to  Aug.  7, 1727."  Library  of  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.) 

*Cittvof  N.  Yorke  Indentures,  81. 

nWid,  128. 

«Liber29,  80.   (Dec.  29,  1720.) 

[10] 


y 


Records  at  hand  do  not  reveal  the  earliest  date  at  which  the 
evening  school  appeared  in  the  city  of  Boston.  For  information  con- 
cerning the  early  evening  schools  of  New  York,  we  may  turn  to  the 
apprenticeship-indentures  of  the  period.  But  such  records  are  not 
available  for  a  study  of  this  type  of  instruction  in  Boston.  In  con- 
nection with  a  study  of  apprenticeship-education  in  colonial  New 
England,  the  writer  examined  many  Massachusetts  indentures  of 
apprenticeship,  but  did  not  find  one  in  which  provision  was  made  for 
sending  the  apprentice  to  such  a  school.^  It  must  not  be  inferred, 
however,  from  this  lack  of  evidence,  that  evening  schools  did  not 
appear  in  Boston  as  early  as  in  New  York  City.  It  is  highly  probable 
that  they  were  established  in  Boston  before  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  Boston,  like  New  York  City,  was  a  seaport,  and  a 
center  of  industry;  and  there  must  have  been  a  similar  demand  for 
such  schools.  Furthermore,  the  schoolmasters  of  Boston  were 
familiar  with  educational  institutions  in  other  colonies. 

One  of  the  earliest  references  to  the  evening  school  in  Boston 
is  contained  in  the  following  advertisement,  in  The  Boston  Gazette, 
for  i\ugust  31-September  7,  1724: 

This  Evening  Mr.  Samuel  Grainger  begins  his  Evening  School  for  Writing 
Accompts,  and  the  Mathematicks,  such  as  intend  to  learn  are  desired  to  begin  speedily 
and  they  shall  be  dispatcht  with  Expedition  suitable  to  their  Application.^" 

A  notice  in  The  American  Weekly  Mercury  records  the  existence 
of  an  evening  school  in  Philadelphia,  in  1734."  The  master  of  this 
school,  Theophilus  Grew,  later  became  a  "professor"  at  the  Academy. 
Other  early  Philadelphia  evening  schools  were  established  by  Na- 
thanael  Piatt,  in  1742,'^  and,  in  the  year  following,  by  Joseph 
Crellius,'^  and  Charles  Fortesque.^'* 

In  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  three  evening  schools  were  opened 
in  1744,  by  Jeremiah  Theus,^^  Nathaniel  and  Mary  Gittens,^*^  and 
John  Fouquet.^'^  Fifteen  years  later,  John  Sims,  "Schoolmaster  in  the 


^Seybolt,  R.  F.  Apprenticeship  and  Apprenticeship  Education  in  Colonial  New 
England  and  New  York.    Columbia  University,  New  York,  1917. 

lOThe  Boston  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1724. 

iiThe  American  Weekly  Mercury,  Philadelphia,  Oct.  3-10,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1734. 
Repeated  Oct.  16-23,  1735. 

i^The  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Mar.  31,  Apr.  8,  1742. 

"Ibid,  Nov.  10,  16,24,  1743. 

"Ibid,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15,  20,  1743. 

Jacob  Schuppy,  1743.    (Ibid,  Nov.  16,  24,  Dec.  1,  15,  1743.) 

"The  South  Carolina  Gazette,  Nov.  5,  1744. 

'«I bid,  Sept.  17,  1744. 

I'Ibid,  Nov.  12,  19,  1744. 

[11] 


Town  School"  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  proposed  "to  open  a 
separate  School  .  .  .  beginning  at  half  after  Six  O'Clock,  and  con- 
cluding at  Eight. "^^  In  1763,  Maurice  Towel,  also  of  Newport, 
"resolved  to  begin  just  after  the  Holidays,  and  promises  due  Attend- 
ance either  by  Night  or  Day."^^ 

The  sources  do  not  permit  one  to  indicate  definite  dates  for  the 
establishment  of  the  first  evening  schools  in  any  of  the  colonies.  It 
is  evident  that  they  were  accepted  institutions  in  the  Dutch  colony 
of  New  Netherland.  In  New  York  City,  they  appeared  sometime 
between  1674  and  1700.  Although  documentary  evidence  has  not 
come  down  to  us,  it  may  be  supposed  that  such  schools  made  their 
appearance  in  the  important  seaport  cities  of  New  England  before 
the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  earliest  establishments  in 
Philadelphia,  and  Charleston  belong  to  the  opening  years  of  the  next 
century. 


i^The  Newport  Mercurv,  May  22,  June  5,  1759. 
"Ibid,  Dec.  26,  1763. 

[12] 


i 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  SCHOOL  TERM,  SEASONS,  AND  HOURS 

Information  concerning  the  school-seasons,  and  hours  of  atten- 
dance is  abundant.  Although  the  evidence  is  somewhat  fragmentary 
in  character,  it  is  possible,  by  piecing  together  a  large  number  of  sep- 
arate records,  to  build  up  a  fairly  complete  account  of  this  aspect  of 
evening  school  practice. 

One  of  the  earliest  references  to  an  evening  school  in  the  English 
colonies  occurs  in  a  Harlem  apprenticeship-indenture  of  November 
25,  1690,  in  which  the  master  promised  that  his  apprentice  "shall 
have  the  privelege  of  going  to  the  evening  school."^  According  to  a 
New  York  City  indenture  of  October  1,  1698,  the  apprentice  was  to 
be  given  "his  winter's  schooling."^  From  indentures  of  later  date  it  is 
evident  that  the  evening  school  in  New  York  City,  in  the  early 
eighteenth  century,  was  kept  in  the  winter.  An  indenture  of  Novem- 
ber 18,  1701,  contains  the  provision:  "in  the  Evenings  to  go  to  School 
each  Winter  to  the  End  he  may  be  taught  to  write  and  read."^  In 
some  instances  the  master  promised  to  give  his  apprentice  "One 
Quarter  of  a  Year's  Schooling,"^  in  others  "Every  winter  three 
Months  Evening  Schooling."^  An  indenture  of  January  20,  1720 
combines  the  two  preceding  provisions  by  designating  "a  Quarter  or 
three  Months  Schooling  in  every  Winter."^  And  the  particular  three 
months,  or  quarter,  during  which  the  evening  school  was  kept  is 
indicated  in  an  indenture  of  February  24,  1719,  in  which  the  master 
agreed  "to  put  him  to  school  three  Months  in  Every  Year  during  the 
said  apprenticeship  Immediately  after  Christmas  ...  to  the  Evening 


iCh.  I,  n.  4. 

2Ch.  I,  n.  5. 

3Ch.  I,  n.  6. 

^Citty  of  N.  Yorke  Indentures,  60.  Indenture  of  Jan.  20,  1700. 

See  also  indentures  of  1718-1726,  in  Liber  29,  1,  .39,  14,  54,  110,  123,  129,  152, 
156,  181,  196,  199,  220,  227,  241,  244,  261,  264,  268,  270,  275,  284,  286,  303,  312, 
314,  324,  325,  327,  354,  358. 

^Citty  of  N.  Yorke  Indentures,  62,  107,  128,  143,  158. 

See  also  indentures  of  1701-1726,  in  Liber  29,  3,  13,  44,  45,  55,  59,  70,  86,  90, 
102,  112,  119,  151,  158,  168,  172,  216,  232,  239,  242,  320,  349. 

«Liber  29,  94. 

[13] 


School  to  learn  to  read  and  write. "^  Frequently  the  indentures  refer 
to  these  three  months  as  "the  usual  times  in  the  Winter  Evenings," 
or  the  "Customary"  period.^  An  indenture  of  June  29,  1726  permits 
the  apprentice  "to  go  to  School  during  the  time  that  is  customary 
here  to  keep  Night  School."^ 

Apprenticeship-indentures  constitute  our  chief  sources  of  in- 
formation concerning  the  earliest  evening  schools  in  the  colony  of 
New  York,  those  of  the  late  seventeenth  and  early  eighteenth  cen- 
turies. But  the  evidence  of  these  documents  is  somewhat  incomplete, 
and  it  must  be  supplemented  by  reference  to  the  newspapers,  which 
began  to  make  their  appearance  after  1725.^"  From  that  year  on 
advertisements  of  evening  schools  are  numerous,  and  they  contain 
the  only  detailed  accounts  that  have  come  down  to  us  of  any  aspect 
of  colonial  evening  school  practice. 

The  indentures  indicate  that  the  earliest  evening  schools  in 
New  York  City  were  kept  only  during  the  winter.  This  practice 
seems  to  have  been  continued  by  John  Walton,  of  New  York  City, 
who  announced,  in  1723,  that  his  "School  from  the  first  of  October 
till  the  first  of  March  will  be  tended  in  the  Evening,""  and  by  James 
Lyde,  whose  advertisement  of  August  31-September  7,  1730  informs 
us  that  "On  the  15th  of  September  next"  he  "designs  to  Teach  in  the 
Evening  (during  the  Winter). "'- 


'Liber,  29, 55.  See  also  Cittyof  N.Yorke  Indentures,  123,  indentureof  July  30, 1705: 
"to  allow  him  Evening  Schooling  Every  Winter  from  Christmas  as  is  Customary;" 
Liber  29,  139,  indenture  of  Jan.  18,  1721:  "Schooling  in  Winter  Evenings  from  Christ- 
mas;" Ibid,  289,  indenture  of  June  1,  1725:  "Every  Quarter  after  Christmas;"  Ibid, 
346,  indenture  of  May  1,  1726:  "Eavening  schoUing  from  Christemis  Eavery  year  of 
the  said  term." 

sLiber  29,  34,  36,  102,  212,  216,  225.    Indentures  of  1717-1724. 

91  bid,  318. 

"The  New  York  Gazette,  the  first  New  York  City  newspaper,  was  established 
in  1725. 

"The  American  Weekly  Mercury,  Philadelphia,  Oct.  17-24,  Oct.  24-31,  Oct.  31- 
Nov.  7,  1723.  There  were  no  New  York  City  newspapers  at  this  date.  Walton  pub- 
lished his  notice  in  a  Philadelphia  paper  that  circulated  in  New  York. 

i^New  York  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1730. 

Gabriel  Wayne:  "will  keep  an  Evening  School  during  the  Winter  Season." 
(New  York  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  17,  24,  1750.) 

Garrat  Noel:  "proposes  to  teach  Night  School  during  the  Winter  Season."  (Ibid, 
Sept.  2,  9,  16,  23,  1751.) 

Robert  Leeth:  "intends  keeping  an  Evening  School  during  the  Winter."  (Ibid, 
Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9,  16,  23,  30,  1752.) 

John  Lewis:  "keeps  a  NIGHT  SCHOOL,  and  purposes  to  continue  it  all  the 
season."    (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Dec.  24,  1753;  Jan.  7,  14,  21,  1754.) 

Mr.  Evans:  "in  the  evenings  during  the  winter."  (Roval  Gazette,  Oct.  17,  20, 
31,  Nov.  21,  1781.) 

J.  Mennye:  "EVENING  SCHOOL... to  be  continued  during  the  Winter." 
(New  York  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  14,  1782.) 

[14] 


Toward  the  middle  of  the  century  it  was  evident  that  school- 
masters, here  and  there  in  the  city,  were  not  observing  the  earlier 
custom  of  conducting  evening  schools  only  during  the  winter  season. 
In  a  notice  of  May  4,  1747,  "Thomas  Metcalfe  proposes  to  teach  an 
Evening  School  ...  all  the  Summer."^'''  A  particularly  pertinent 
advertisement,  in  this  connection,  is  one  inserted  by  Robert  Leeth 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Post^  May  27,  1751: 

I  find  it  has  been  a  Custom  here  immemorial,  for  School  Masters  to  keep  Evening 
Schools  Winter  only;  But  as  it  may  suit  many  young  People's  Conveniencies  to  write 
and  cast  Accompts  at  other  Seasons  of  the  Year,  I  do  hereby  give  Notice  that  I  intend 
to  keep  an  Evening  School  from  six  o'Clock  till  Eight,  the  Year  round.^'* 

There  was  no  agreement  among  the  masters  that  all  the  evening 
schools  in  the  city  should  begin  their  terms  at  the  same  time.  Thomas 
Evans  announced,  on  December  18,  1749,  that  he  had  established 
himself  "at  the  House  ot  Mr.  Bingham,  Shoemaker,  near  the  New- 
Dock,  where  he  will  give  due  Attendance  for  Night  School,  commenc- 
ing the  first  Day  of  January  next."^^  A  New  York  City  notice  ot 
September  15,  1755  announces  that  John  Searson,  "Who  teaches 
School  at  the  House  of  Mrs.  Coon  opposite  to  the  Post  Office,  pro- 
poses (God  Willing)  to  open  an  Evening  School,  on  Thursday  the 
25th  Instant  September. "^^  Thomas  Johnson,  on  November  23,  1761 , 
begged  "Leave  to  inform  the  Public  that  he  has  this  Day  open'd  a 


isisjew  York  Evening  Post,  Aug.  3,  1747. 

James  Wragg:  "Evening  School  continues  all  Summer."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or 
Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  5,  12,  f9,  26,  May  3,  10,  17,  June  14,  1756.) 

James,  and  Samuel  Giles:  "during  the  Summer  Season."  (Parker's  New  York 
Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Apr.  30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759.) 

"N.  Y.  Evening  Post,  May  27,  June  3,  1751. 

i^N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Dec.  18,  25,  1749;  Jan.  1,  8, 
1750. 

Thomas  Johnson:  "this  Day  (Jan.  2)  intends  ...  to  open  an  EVENING 
SCHOOL."    (N.  Y.  Gazette,  Jan.  18,  1762.) 

James  Gilliland:  "will  open  a  NIGHT  SCHOOL,  on  Monday  the  4th  of  January 
next."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Dec.  14,  28,  1772.)  Three  years  later, 
Gilliland  announced  "An  EVENING  SCHOOL  To  commence  immediately  after  the 
Holidays."  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Connecticut,  Hudson's  River,  New 
Jersev,  and  Quebec  Weeklv  Advertiser,  Jan.  12,  19,  1775.) 

"N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  29,  Oct.  6,  13,  1755.  Ibid, 
Oct.  27,  1755:    "Night  School  is  begun." 

Tames  Wragg:  "Night  School  begins  this  Month."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weeklv 
Post  Boy,  Sept.  8,  15,  22,  Oct.  6,  13,  1755.)  Ibid,  Oct.  20,  1755:  "Night  School  is 
kept." 

Edward  Willett,  and  George  Adams:  "A  Night  School.  .  .will  be  opened  on  Mon- 
day September  the  Fourth."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Aug.  14,  28,  Sept. 
4,  1758.) 

John  Young:  "purposes  to  open  a  Night  School  on  the  21st  Instant  September." 
(N.  Y.  Mercury,  Sept.  7,  1761.) 

James  Giles:  "Evening  School  to  begin  September  20fh."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or 
Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  2,  23,  30,  1762.) 

Samuel  Giles:  "will  begin  his  Evening  School  on  Mondav  the  24th  instant." 
(Ibid,  Sept.  20,  27,  1764.) 

[15] 


Day  and  Evening  School, "^^  and  Hugh  Hughes,  also  of  New  York 
City,  gave  notice,  on  March  20,  1767,  that  he  would  "open  a  Morning 
and  Evening  School  ...  to  commence  the  first  of  April  next,  and  to 
continue  to  the  first  of  October  following. "^^ 

A  similar  lack  of  uniformity  obtained  in  New  England  with 
respect  to  the  evening  school  seasons.  The  Boston  Gazette,  of 
August  31-September  7,  1724,  contains  a  notice  to  the  effect  that 
"This  Evening  Mr.  Samuel  Grainger  begins  his  Evening  School  for 
Writing,  Accompts  and  the  Mathematicks."^^  Charles  Shimmin's 
evening  school  in  Salem  was  announced  on  December  8,  1772,  and  on 
September  21  In  the  year  following;-"  and  in  Marblehead,  Peter 
Donworth  gave  notice  on  February  8,  1774  "that  he  has  opened 
SCHOOL  .  .  .  His  Hours  tor  teaching  are  .  .  .  from  5  till  8  of  the 
Clock  in  the  Evening."-^  Maurice  Towel,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island, 
in  1763,  advertised  to  "begin  just  after  the  Holidays."-^  A  Norwich, 


I'N.  Y.  Mercury,  Nov.  23,  1761. 

Edward  Willett:  "On  Tuesday  the  First  Dav  of  November  next  a  Day  and  Night 
SCHOOL  will  be  open'd."    (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Oct.  24,  1757) 

James  Lamb:   "night  SCHOOL  from  the  1st  of  December."   (Ibid,  Dec.  12,  1768) 

i»N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  16,  23,  30,  May  7,  14,  21,  June  4,  1767. 

^'Boston  Gazette,  Sept.  4-11,  1727:  "This  Week  Mr.  Samuel  Grainger  begins 
Evening  School."  Ibid,  Sept.  11-18,  1727:  "Last  Week  Mr.  Samuel  Grainger  began 
Evening  School." 

Boston  Evening  Post,  Sept.  12,  19,  26,  1748:  "Mr.  Pelham's  Writing  and  Arith- 
metick  School.  .  .during  the  Winter  Season." 

John  Vinal:  "an  EVENING  SCHOOL  will  be  opened  the  third  Day  of  October." 
(Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Sept.  13,  27,  1756.)  A  year  later,  Vinal  an- 
nounced that  "an  Evening  School  will  be  opened  the  Second  Day  of  October  next." 
(Boston  Post  Boy  and  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  9,  1758.)  In  1759,  his  evening  school 
opened  on  Oct.  1,  "to  continue  till  the  1st  of  April."  (Green  and  Russell's  Boston 
Post  Boy  &  Advertiser,  Sept.  10,  17,  24,  1759.)  In  1776,  Vinal  appeared  in  Newbury- 
port.  Essex  Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776:  "John  Vinal 
Intends  to  begin  his  EVENING  SCHOOL  for  Youth  of  both  Sexes  the  first  Monday 
in  November  next." 

John  Griffith:  "Intends  to  begin  Evening  School.  .  .the  19th  Instant."  (Boston 
Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Oct.  5,  1767.) 

2»Essex  Gazette  (Salem,  Mass.),  Dec.  8-15,  15-22,  1772;  Sept.  21-28,  1773. 

Ibid,  Oct.  25-Nov.  1,  1774:  "Mr.  Hopkins  intends  to  open  an  Evening  School 
Monday  next,  at  7  o'Clock." 

Essex  Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776:  "Nicholas 
Pike  Purposes  to  open  his  EVENING  SCHOOL. .  .on  the  first  Monday  in  November 
next." 

Ibid,  Oct.  18,  25,  Nov.  1,  1776:  "Robert  Long  Determines  to  open  an  Evening 
School  the  first  Mondav  in  November  next." 

2iEssex  Gazette,  Feb.  8-15,  15-22,  1774. 

-Newport  Mercury,  Dec.  26,  1763. 

John  Sims:  "proposes  to  open.  .  .on  the  first  Wednesday  of  June  next,  to  con- 
tinue t.he  Summer  Season."    (Ibid,  May  22,  June  5,  1759.; 


[16] 


Connecticut,  "EVENING  SCHOOL,"  of  1774,  was  also  kept  during 
the  winter,  by  Thomas  Eyre.^^ 

The  early  evening  schools  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  seem  to 
have  been  kept  "during  the  winter  season."  A  notice  ol  1744  "informs 
the  Public"  that  Nathaniel  and  Mary  Gittens  "intend  to  commence 
an  Evening  School  the  10th  of  September;"-'*  and  another,  of  the  same 
year,  that  Jeremiah  Theus'  "Evening  School  .  .  .  will  be  open'd 
on  the  first  of  November  next."^^ 

In  Philadelphia,  as  in  the  other  cities  already  mentioned,  some 
of  the  evening  schools  were  kept  during  the  summer.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  these  schools  were  attended  chiefly  by  girls,  or  "young 
Ladies."  An  advertisement  of  April  5,  1753  contains  the  announce- 
ment that  an  evening  school  for  "young  Ladies"  would  be  opened, 
by  William  Dawson,  "On  Monday,  the  ninth  of  April. "^^  Two  years 
later,  Dawson  opened  his  "evening  school  for  young  Ladies"  on 
"Monday,  the  14th  of  April. "^'^  The  same  month  was  chosen  by 
Joseph  Garner  for  the  opening  of  his  school  "for  young  Ladies  only," 
in  1766.28 

The  most  popular  evening  schools  in  Philadelphia  were  those 
that  were  conducted  "during  the  Winter  Season."  It  is  a  noteworthy 
fact  that  some  agreement  existed  among  the  schoolmasters  of  that 
city  with  respect  to  the  choice  of  the  month  in  which  to  begin  the 
winter  term.  A  few  schools  were  opened  in  September.  N.  Walton, 
and  W.  Hetherington  announced,  on  August  15,  1745,  that  they  would 
"open  a  Night  School  .  .  .  the  10th  of  September  next."-^  The 
school  kept  by  "JAMES  COSGROVE,  with  Assistants,"  in  1757, 
"was  opened  ...  on  Monday  the  Fifth  Instant"  (September).^'' 
In  most  of  the  evening  schools  of  colonial  Philadelphia  the  "winter 
season"  began  in  October,  usually  on  the  first,  or  second  Monday. 


^Norwich  Packet  and  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and  Rhode 
Island  Weekly  Advertiser,  Dec.  1,  8,  1774. 

W.  Harris:  "Monday  the  27th  Instant."  (Connecticut  Gazette  and  the  Uni- 
versal Intelligencer,  May  14,  1776.) 

2'South  Carolina  Gazette,  Sept.  17,  1744. 

251  bid,  Nov.  5,  1744. 

2«Pennsvlvania  Gazette,  Apr.  5,  12,  May  3,  31,  June  14,  28,  1753. 

mWid,  Apr.  10,  1755. 

2^1  bid,  Feb.  13,  1766. 

29Ibid,  Aug.  15,  22,  29,  1745. 

soibid,  Sept.  8,  Dec.  8,  22,  1757. 

Ibid,  Sept.  18,  1766:  "on  Monday,  the  29th  Instant,  will  be  opened  an  Evening 
Seminary." 

Jacob  Lawn:  "French  night  school  will  be  open  again  the  29th  of  this  Instant." 
(Ibid,  Sept.  24,  1783.) 

[17] 


October  seems  to  have  suggested  Itself  as  the  proper  month.  The 
records  refer  to  such  opening  dates  as  the  first,  fourth,  fifth,  sixth, 
eighth,  thirteenth,  and  fifteenth  of  the  month.^^  A  relatively  small 
number,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  began  their  seasons  after  the 
fifteenth.^-  An  excerpt  from  a  printer's  advertisement,  of  1771,  is 
especially  pertinent  in  its  reference  to  the  uniformity  that  obtained 
with  respect  to  the  opening  of  the  winter  season.  On  October  third, 
of  that  year,  Henry  Miller,  "Printer,  in  Race-street,  Philadelphia," 
announced  that  Blackmair's  German  Grammar  "will  soon  be  pub- 
lished .  .  .  And,  as  the  Night  Schools  are  to  he  opened  this  instant 
October,  both  Masters  and  Scholars  may  have  the  Sheets  at  the  afore- 
said Editor's,  as  they  come  out  of  the  Press  weekly,  in  order  to  enable 
them  to  go  through  the  Grammar  against  the  Time  of  its  Publica- 
tion,"^^ In  1772,  the  schoolmasters  of  the  city  met  to  discuss  their 
evening  school  problems,  and  to  determine  a  policy  in  this  connec- 
tion. The  result  ot  their  deliberations  is  expressed  in  the  following 
excerpt  from  the  minutes,  which  were  published,  "By  Order  of  the 
Meeting,"  in  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  September  30,  1772: 

The  Schoolmasters  of  this  city  and  district,  beg  leave  to  inform  the  Public,  that 
they  intend  opening  XIGHT  SCHOOLS,  at  their  respective  schoolhouses,  on  Monday 
Evening,  the  5th  of  October  next. 

The  length  of  the  term  appears  to  have  been  fairly  definitely 
fixed  by  custom.  From  evidence  of  several  kinds  it  may  be  inferred 
that  most  of  the  schools  were  run  on  a  quarterly  plan.  There  were  a 
few,  however,  that  were  conducted  on  a  different  basis:  John  Wal- 
ton's evening  school,  in  New  York  City,  in  1723,  "from  the  first  of 
October  till  the  first  of  March  will  be  tended  in  the  Evening;"^^ 
Theophilus  Grew,  and  Horace  Jones,  of  Philadelphia,  announced,  in 
1753,  that  they  "intended  an  Evening  School  for  this  Winter  Season 
...  to  commence  on  Monday,  the  8th  of  October,  and  to  continue 
until  the  Middle  of  March. "•''•^  But  these  were  exceptions;  the  five 
months  term  was  not  popular.    Most  of  the  indentures  of  apprentice- 


^^Oct.  1,  1754  (Dawson),  1771  TFentham);  Oct.  4,  1756  (Dawson,  and  Gladstone); 
Oct.  5,  1761  (Oliphant);  Oct.  6,  1760  (Kennedy,  Maxfield,  and  Kennedv),  1760 
(Oliphant),  1766  (Thorne),  1766  (Power);  Oct.  8,  1753  (Grew  and  Jones),  1753  (Daw- 
son), 1770  (Oliphant),  1771  (Maguire,  and  Power);  Oct.  13,  1766  (Thorne);  Oct.  14, 
1771  (Ellison);  Oct.  15,  1770  fStiles),  1770  (Ellison). 

s^David  Ellison:  "AN  EVENING  SCHOOL  WILL  be  opened,  on  Monday,  the 
18th  of  October."    (Ibid,  Nov.  17,  1773). 

A.  Morton:  "On  Mondav,  the  24th  of  this  Instant,  October."  (Ibid,  Oct.  20, 
1757.) 

'^Pennsvivania  Gazette,  Oct.  3,  1771. 

s^Ameri'can  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  20,  27,  1753. 

[18] 


ship  that  refer  to  evening  schools  mention  the  "quarter"  as  the  period, 
or  term,  of  the  schooling  to  be  given  the  apprentices:  "Every  Winter 
one  Quarter,"  "Every  Quarter  after  Christmas."  Some  of  the 
schools  were  kept  "during  the  Winter  Season,"  and  others  "during 
the  Summer  Season."  It  is  evident,  from  an  examination  of  the 
records,  that  these  phrases  referred  either  to  a  term  of  three  months, 
or  to  one  of  six  months,  during  the  winter,  or  summer.  The  "custo- 
mary" six  months,  or  two-quarter,  period  Is  indicated  in  an  advertise- 
ment published  by  John  Vinal,  of  Boston,  on  September  13,  1756, 
in  which  he  gave  "Notice  .  .  .  That  an  EVENING  SCHOOL  will 
be  opened  on  the  Third  Day  of  October  .  .  .  The  said  School  to 
continue  till  the  first  Day  of  next  April. "^^  Additional  evidence  that 
evening  schools  were  conducted  on  a  quarterly  basis  is  contained  in 
advertisements  that  mention  the  rates  of  tuition;  the  various  sub- 
jects were  offered  at  so  much  "per  Quarter." 

An  attempt  to  ascertain  the  evenings  of  the  week  on  which  these 
schools  were  kept  reveals  the  fact  that  most  of  the  records  contain 
merely  the  apparently  indefinite  phrase  "in  the  evenings."  It  may  be 
assumed,  however,  that  in  such  schools  instruction  was  given  every 
evening.  A  New  York  City  advertisement,  of  1772,  announces  that 
James  Gilliland  taught  "every  Evening. "^'^  Exceptions  to  this 
custom  were  indicated  In  but  few  Instances.  Joseph  Garner,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  1766,  kept  "an  Evening  School  .  .  .  three  Evenings 
In  the  Week."^^  He  did  not  designate  the  evenings,  in  his  announce- 
ment. Two  New  York  City  schoolmasters  stated  definitely  that  their 
schools  would  be  open  on  certain  evenings  only:  James,  and  Samuel 
Giles,  In  1759,  taught  "In  the  evenings  of  all  School  Days,  Wednesday 
and  Saturday  Evenings  excepted;"^''  and  John  Nathan  Hutchins,  in 
1763,  omitted  "Saturday  evenings."'**^ 

The  hours  of  instruction  varied  greatly  throughout  the  colonies. 
In  fact,  there  was  no  uniformity  in  this  matter,  in  any  one  city. 
Thomas  Metcalfe,  of  New  York  City,  proposed,  in  1747,  "to  teach 
an  Evening  School,  beginning  at  five  to  be  continued  till  Sunset."'*^ 

^^Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Sept.  13,  27,  1756. 

37N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Dec.  14,  28,  1772. 

^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Feb.  13,  1766. 

P.  Webster:  "on  such  Nights  as  shall  best  suit  the  Attendants."  (Ibid,  Dec.  18, 
1766.) 

s^Parker's  N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,   Apr.  30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759. 

^oN.  Y.  Mercury,  Apr.  25,  May  2,  1763. 

Anthony  Fiva:  "Saturday  excepted."  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn., 
N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  May  19,  26,  1774.) 

«N.  Y.  Evening  Post,  Aug.  3,  1747. 

[19] 


A  Boston  school,  of  1748,  was  open  "during  the  Winter  Season.  .  . 
from  Candle-light  till  Nine  in  the  Evening  as  usual. "'^^  James  Cos- 
grove,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1755,  "taught  at  the  usual  hours  of  evening 
schools."'*^  In  most  cases  the  hours  were  definitely  indicated  as: 
"from  5  to  7  in  the  evenings,"  "from  the  hour  of  5  to  8,"  "from  6  to  7 
o'clock  in  the  evenings  during  the  Winter,"  "from  6  to  8  o'clock  every 
Evening,"  and  "from  6  to  9  in  the  Evening."'*'*  The  most  popular 
hours  seem  to  have  been  from  six  to  eight,  and  from  six  to  nine. 

Most  of  the  evening  schools  in  the  American  colonies  were  kept 
only  "during  the  Winter."  Although  differences  obtained  in  practice, 
the  "usual"  season  was  of  six  months  duration,  from  October  to 
April,  and  comprised  two  terms.  These  three-month  periods  were 
known  as  quarters,  and  constituted  the  term-basis  of  all  colonial 
schooling.  With  but  few  exceptions,  the  schools  gave  instruction 
every  evening  in  the  week,  classes  beginning,  in  most  instances,  at 
six  and  ending  at  eight,  or  nine  o'clock. 


^Boston  Evening  Post,  Sept.  12,  19,  26,  1748. 

Ebenezer  Dayton:  "Night  School  ALL  Summer,  from  Sun-set  to  9  o'Clock." 
(Newport  Mercury,  Feb.  27-Mar.  6,  1769.) 

^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755. 

«Five  to  seven:  Piatt  (Phila.),  1742;  J.,  and  S.  Giles  (N.  Y.  C),  1759;  Hutchins 
(N.  Y.  C),  1763.  Five  to  eieht:  Donworth  (Marblehead),  1774;  Dawson  (Phila.), 
1753,  1755,  1756;  Gather  (Phila.),  1756.  Six  to  seven:  Evans  (N.  Y.  C.),  1781.  Six 
to  eight:  Webster  (Phila.),  1766;  Gilliland  (N.  Y.  C.),  1772;  Fiva  (N.  Y.  C.),  1773; 
Gollen,  and  Mountain  (N.  Y.  C.),  1774;  Davis  (N.  Y.  C.),  1778;  Neil  (Charleston, 
S.  €.),  1783.  Six  to  nine:  Grew  (Phila.),  1734,  1744;  Pelham  (Boston),  1748;  Carroll 
(N.  Y.  C),  1765;  Dayton  (Newport,  R.  L),  1768;  Shimmin  (Salem),  1772;  Daymen 
(Phila.),  1771;  Fentham  (Phila.),  1771;  Nevel!  (Phila.),  1772. 

John  Sims:  "beginning  at  half  after  Six  O'Clock,  and  concluding  at  Eight." 
(Newport  Mercury,  May  22,  June  5,  1759.) 

[20] 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  CURRICULUM 

According  to  the  records,  the  curriculum  of  the  earliest  evening 
schools  in  the  English  colonies,  those  of  New  York  City,  consisted  of 
reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic.  The  evidence  of  the  indentures  of 
apprenticeship  indicates  that  these  subjects  were  studied  separately, 
or  in  any  combination  desired  by  the  apprentice,  or  his  master. 
An  indenture  of  October  14,  1700,  provides  for  sending  the  apprentice 
to  the  "winter  school  to  learn  to  read  as  long  as  the  school  time  shall 
last."^  In  other  instances  the  apprentice  was  permitted  "in  the 
evenings  to  go  to  School  Each  Winter  to  the  End  that  he  may  be 
taught  to  write  and  Read,"-  or  to  "Learn  Writing  and  Cyphering  at 
the  usuall  Winter  Seasons."^  The  most  popular  provision,  however, 
was:  "One  Quarter  of  a  Year  in  Each  Year  of  said  Term  to  a  good 
Evening  School  in  Order  to  be  well  instructed  in  reading,  writing, 
Accounting  and  the  like."^  The  purpose  of  this  education  for  appren- 
tices is  well  expressed  in  the  words  of  an  indenture  ot  December  7, 
1724,  which  made  provision  for  teaching  the  boy  to  "Read  write  and 
Cypher  so  far  as  will  be  Sufficient  to  manage  his  Trade. "^ 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  the  content  of  the  course  in  "cypher- 
ing," or  arithmetic,  pursued  by  the  apprentice  in  this  early  period. 
A  Westchester  indenture,  of  July  1,  1716,  makes  provision  for  teach- 
ing the  apprentice  to  "Read  Write  &  Cast  Accompts  to  so  far  as  the 


iHarlem  Records,  II,  543. 

^Cittv  of  N.  Yorke  Indentures,  81.  Indenture  of  Nov.  18,  1701.  See  the  following 
indentures  in  Liber  29:  59  (Feb.  9,  1719);  55  (Feb.  24,  1719);  69  (Dec.  9,  1719);  83 
(Apr.  26,  1720);  119  (Nov.  18,  1720):  "Every  Winter. .  .Evening  School.  .  .to  Read 
and  Write;"  117  (Feb.  1,  1721):  "Evening  Schooling.  .  .to  Read  and  write  English;" 
212  (July  10,  1722):  "to  read  and  write  English.  .  .in  Winter  Evenings." 

^Liber  29,  36.  Indenture  of  Aug.  1,  1717.  See  the  following  in  Liber  29:  36  (Aug. 
1,  1717);  78  (Apr.  16,  1718):  "Evening  School.  .  .to  learn  to  write  and  cypher;"  34 
(Aug.  6,  1719);  102  (May  1,  1720):  "School.  .  .Evenings  to  learn  Writing  and  Cypher- 
ing;" 193  (Sept.  1,  1723):  "Night  School.  .  .writeing  and  Arithmetick." 

^Liber  29,  80.  Indenture  of  Aug.  1,  1720.  See  the  following  in  Liber  29,  82  (Jan. 
6,  1720):  "Evening  School. .  .Reading  and  Writing  and  Arithmetick;"  190  (Nov.  6, 
1722);  241  (Jan.  31,  1723):  "Evening  School  to  Read  write  and  Cypher;"  197  (Aug. 
1,  1723):  "School.  .  .on  Winter  Evenings.  .  .to  Read  write  and  Cypher;"  266  (Dec.  25, 
1723);  314  (Jan.  4,  1724);  225  (July  26,  1724);  278  (Oct.  5,  1724)';  229  (Oct.  26,  1724); 
280  (June  1,  1725);  289  (June  1,  1725):  "to  read  and  write.  .  .every  Quarter.  .  .and 
Syfer  two  Quarters." 

^Liber  29,  282-. 

[21] 


Rule  of  three. "^  This  usually  meant  the  "Rule  of  Three  Direct." 
Another  statement  of  the  composition  of  this  subject  occurs  in  a  New 
York  City  indenture  of  May  20,  1720,  in  which  the  master  agreed  to 
provide  instruction  in  "writing  and  cyphering  so  far  as  Addition 
Subtraction  and  Multiplication."^  In  some  instances  the  apprentice 
was  to  be  taught  "to  Cypher  so  as  to  keep  his  Own  accounts, "^or 
"so  far  as  he  be  able  to  keep  his  Books. "^ 

Obviously,  the  evidence  of  the  apprenticeship-indentures  is 
somewhat  Incomplete.  They  indicate,  in  a  matter-of-course  manner, 
that  evening  schools  were  common  in  the  Royal  Province  of  New 
York  during  the  late  seventeenth,  and  early  eighteenth  centuries,  and 
that  the  customary  curriculum  comprised  reading,  writing,  and 
arithmetic.  Additional  light  is  thrown  upon  these  schools  by  the 
newspapers;  indeed,  for  this  purpose,  they  constitute  our  best  sources. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  first  colonial  newspapers,  advertise- 
ments of  evening  schools  are  numerous,  and  by  piecing  them  together 
it  is  possible  to  build  up  a  more  complete  account  of  the  curriculum. 

After  the  first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  evening  schools 
oflFering  instruction  only  in  the  elementary  subjects  were  compara- 
tively few  in  number.  Typical  announcements  of  such  schools  are 
those  of  Peter  de  Prefontaine: 

Philadelphia,  October  30,  1746. 

Reading,  Writing,  and  Arithmetick,  carefully  taught,  in  the  house  where  Jonathan 
Biles  lately  lived  in  Race-street,  Philadelphia,  almost  opposite  the  Moravian  Meeting- 
house: Where  also  is  kept  an  evening  school  for  the  instruction  of  those  who  cannot 
come  in  the  day-time,  by  me 

Peter  de  Prefontaine.^" 

and  of  Thomas  Evans,  of  New  York  City,  December  18,  1749: 

Reading  Writing  and  Arithmetick,  taught  by  Thomas  Evans,  at  the  House  of 
Mr.  Bingham,  Shoemaker,  near  the  New-Dock,  where  he  will  give  due  Attendance  for 
Night  School,  commencing  the  first  Day  of  January  next.^ 

Samuel  Bruce,  in  1761,^^  Thomas  \Yiley,  from  1777  to  1782,^^  in  New 


^Westchester  Records,  1707-1720,  254^.  (Manuscript  folio  in  New  York  Hall 
of  Records.) 

^Liber  29,  97. 

sibid,  276.   Indenture  of  Feb.  1,  1722. 

HVestchester  Records,  1711-1730.  July  23,  1725.  (Manuscript  folio  in  New  York 
Hall  of  Records.    Pages  not  numbered.) 

"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  30,  1746. 

"N.  Y.'Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Dec.  18,  25,  1749;  Jan.  1,  8, 
1750. 

12N.  Y.  Mercury,  Aug.  31,  Sept.  7,  28,  1761. 

"N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Feb.  17,  24,  Mar.  3,  10,  24,  1777;  Sept.  13, 
20,  1779;  Nov.  4,  1782. 

[22] 


York  City;  and  William  Payne,  of  Boston,  in  1776,^"*  taught  only 
reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  in  their  evening  schools. 

A  few  of  the  schools  offered  writing,  and  arithmetic  only:  for 
example,  those  of  "Mr.  Pelham,"  in  1748,'^  and  John  Griffith,  from 
1767  to  1771,1'^  in  Boston;  Hugh  Hughes,  of  New  York  City,  in 
1767;^^  and  Lazarus  Pine,  of  Philadelphia,  from  1770  to  1773.^* 
It  may  be  surmised  that  these  masters  did  not  receive  students  who 
had  not  learned  to  read.  This  was  undoubtedly  true  of  Samuel 
Giles,  of  New  York  City,  who  appended  the  following  to  his  adver- 
tisement of  September  2,  1762: 

N.  B.  It  is  evident  from  long  Experience,  that  the  teaching  of  small  Children 
the  first  Rudiments  is  of  ill  Consequences  in  such  a  School  (by  taking  up  too  much  of 
the  Teacher's  Time).  It  is  therefore  proposed  that  for  the  Future,  no  Children  will  be 
taken  but  such  as  have  already  been  taught  to  Read,  and  are  fit  for  Writing.^^ 

In  Other  schools  of  this  elementary  type  evening  instruction  was  given 

in  "writing,  arithmetick,  and  to  draw,"  by  Nathaniel  and  Mary 

Gittens,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1744,-°  and  in  "writing, 

arithmetic,  and  psalmody,"  by  William  Dawson,  of  Philadelphia, 

in  1756.21 

It  may  be  appropriate  to  remark,  at  this  point,  that  the  use  of 
the  term  "elementary,"  to  designate  the  rudimentary  subjects,  read- 
ing, writing,  and  arithmetic,  is  anachronistic.  This  technical  accepta- 
tion of  the  word  did  not  obtain,  generally,  in  the  colonial  period;  it 
belongs,  rather,  to  a  later  day.  The  records  refer  to  these  subjects  as 
the  "lower  branches,"  or  the  "rudiments." 

Spelling,  as  a  separate  course  of  instruction,  was  rarely  offered 
in  the  evening  schools.  Presumably,  most  of  the  students  who 
attended  these  schools  had  already  learned  to  spell.^^ 


"New  England  Chronicle  or  Essex  Gazette,  May  2,  1776. 

Ebenezer  Dayton,  Newport,  R.  I.:  "Reading,  Writing  and  Arithmetic."  (New- 
port Mercury,  Oct.  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1768.) 

i^Boston  Evening  Post,  Sept.  12,  19,  26,  1748. 

iBRoston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Oct.  5,  1767;  Oct.  3,  10,  17,  24,  1768; 
Oct.  14,  1771. 

Massachusetts  Gazette  and  Boston  Weekly  News-Letter,  Oct.  1,  1772:  "Wait- 
ing and  Arithmetic."    (Master's  name  not  given.) 

I'N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  16,  23,  30,  May  7,  14,  21,  June  4,  1767. 

isPennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  27,  1770;  Sept.  26,  1771;  Sept.  23,  1772;  Sept.  22, 
1773. 

"N.  y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  2,  23,  30,  1762. 

^"South  Carolina,  Gazette,  Sept.  17,  1744. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Apr.  15,  1756. 

^William  Milne,  of  Philadelphia,  offered  to  give  "half  an  hour  each  night  at 
spelling  without  book,  to  such  as  pleases."    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  17,  24,  1751.) 

Robert  Gather:  "writing,  arithmetick. .  .the  rules  of  spelling  and  reading  with 
propriety."    (Ibid,  Mar.  25,  1756.) 


i 


[23] 


■f  In  most  evening  schools  of  the  colonial  period  writing,  and  arith- 
metic were  taught  with  special  reference  to  the  trades,  and  com- 
mercial pursuits.  The  records  indicate  that  these  schools  were  es- 
tablished for  apprentices,  and  others  "who  cannot  attend  in  the  day 
time."  For  many  students  of  this  type  the  course  in  writing  would 
emphasize  penmanship  for  clerical  purposes.  In  1745,  N.  Walton, 
and  W.  Hetherington,  of  Philadelphia,  "taught  Writing,  in  all  the 
Hands  of  Great  Britain. "--^  Eight  years  later,  William  Dawson,  also 
of  Philadelphia,  announced  "A  School  to  teach  writing  in  all  the 
hands  of  use,"  among  other  subjects.-'* 

In  the  field  of  arithmetic,  the  distinction  was  made  between 
"common,  and  mercantile  arithmetic. "^^  Common  arithmetic 
obviously  referred  to  the  rudiments  of  the  subject.  The  content  of 
mercantile  arithmetic  is  indicated,  to  some  extent,  by  the  adver- 
tisements ot  James,  and  Samuel  Giles,  of  New  York  City,  in  1759, 
who  taught  "Writing  and  Arithmetic  both  Vulgar  and  Decimal, 
Interest  and  Annuities,  Extraction  of  Roots  of  all  Powers;"-^  and 
Thomas  Carroll,  also  of  New  York  City,  in  1765,  who  offered  in- 
struction in  "Writing,  Vulgar  and  Decimal  Arithmetic;  the  Extrac- 
tion of  the  Roots;  Simple  and  Compound  Interest;  how  to  purchase 
or  sell  Annuities;  Leases  for  Lives,  or  in  Reversion,  Freehold  Estates, 
&:c.  at  Simple  and  Compound  Interest. "^^  William  Dawson,  of  Phila- 
delphia, in  1753,  taught  "writing,  arithmetic,  vulgar  and  decimal, 
in  a  short  and  concise  method,  not  commonly  taught,  whereby  two- 
thirds  of  the  time  and  trouble  may  be  saved  from  the  common  meth- 
ods; and  such  persons  who  have  not  time  to  go  through  the  ordinary 
courses  of  arithmetic,  may  be  made  capable  of  common  business  by 
multiplication."^^ 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug.  15,  22,  29,  1745. 

Nathanael  Piatt,  Phila.,  1742:  "will  teach  them  all  the  most  modish  as  well  as 
necessary  Hands."    (Ibid,  Mar.  31,  Apr.  8,  1742.) 

Dunlap  Adems,  New  York  Citv,  1763:  "Writing  Master."  (N.  Y.  Mercury, 
Jan.  10,  17,  24,  May  9,  16,  1763.) 

"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Apr.  5,  12,  May  3,  31,  June  14,  28,  1753. 

Josiah  Davenport,  Phila:  "Writing  in  all  the  different  hands."  (Ibid,  Dec.  20, 
27,  1753.) 

Alexander,  and  William  Power,  Phila:  "WRITING,  in  all  the  modern  hands." 
(Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1772.) 

Benjamin  Leigh,  and  Garrat  Noel,  New  York  City,  1751:  "a  new  invented 
Short-Hand."    (N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan.  21,  28,  1751.) 

^John  Heffernan,  of  Philadelphia,  offered  both  "common  and  mercantile  arith- 
metic."   (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  14,  1774.) 

George  Fitzserald,  Phila:    "mercantile  arithmetic."    (Ibid,  Nov.  12,  19,  1783) 

26Parker's  NI  Y.  Gazette  or  W'eeklv  Post  Boy,  Apr.  30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759. 

2'N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  4,  18,  1753. 

[24] 


The  most  popular  evening  schools  of  the  eighteenth  century 
offered  instruction  in  practical  subjects  of  higher  grade,  in  addition  to 
the  rudiments.  In  these  schools  certain  hours  were  "set  apart"  for 
those  who  were  learning  to  read,  write,  and  cipher.  In  schools  of 
another  type  only  the  advanced  subjects  were  taught.  The  higher 
classes  were  patronised  not  only  by  apprentices  who  had  received  an 
elementary  education,  but  also  by  young  men  of  means  who  were 
preparing  for  the  vocations.  Like  the  schools  of  purely  elementary 
grade,  they  were  designed  for  "those  who  cannot  spare  time  in  the 
day  time." 

The  higher  curriculum  of  these  schools  included  a  wide  variety 
of  courses.  It  will  be  found,  on  examining  the  evidence  of  the  adver- 
tisements, that  these  schools  met  the  demand  of  a  large  class  for  prac- 
tical instruction  beyond  the  rudiments.  In  schools  of  this  type,  open 
during  the  day,  as  well  as  in  the  evening,  the  book-keepers,  merchants, 
surveyors,  and  navigators  of  the  period  received  their  technical 
training. 

The  typical  higher,  practical  curriculum  comprised  book-keeping, 
or  "Merchants  Accompts,"  and  "the  practical  Branches  of  the 
Mathematicks."  Book-keeping  occupied  a  prominent  position  among 
the  vocational  subjects  of  the  colonial  period.  In  a  few  instances,  it 
is  indicated,  in  the  advertisements,  merely  by  the  word  "accompts," 
or  "accounts:"  Samuel  Grainger,  of  Boston,  in  1724,  offered  instruc- 
tion in  "Writing,  Accompts,  and  the  Mathematicks,"-^  and  Theoph- 
ilus  Grew,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1734,  taught  "Merchants  Ac- 
compts."^^  Additional  light  is  thrown  upon  this  subject  by  B.  Leigh, 

29Boston  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1724. 

Nicholas  Barrington,  New  York  City,  1752:  "Merchants  Accounts."  (N.  Y. 
Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Nov.  13,  1752.) 

John  Searson,  New  York  City,  1755:  "Merchants  Accounts."  (N.  Y.  Gazette 
or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  Oct.  6,  13,  1755.) 

Edward  Willett,  New  York  Citj',  1757:  "Merchants  Accounts."  (Ibid,  Oct.  24, 
1757.) 

Thomas  Johnson,  New  York  City,  1761:  "Merchants  Accompts."  (N.  Y.  Mer- 
cury, Nov.  23,  1761.) 

John  Young,  New  York  City,  1761:  "Merchants  Accounts."  (Ibid,  Sept.  17, 
1761.) 

soAmerican  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  3-10,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  Dec.  5-12,  1734;  Oct. 
16-23,  1735;  Sept.  20,  27,  Oct.  11,  1744. 

Grew,  and  Jones,  Phila.,  1753:  "Writing,  Arithmetick,  Accompts."  (Ibid,  Sept. 
20,  27,  1753.) 

Charles  Fortesque,  Phila.,  1743:  "Merchants  Accompts."  (Ibid,  Nov.  24,  Dec. 
1,  6,  15,20,  1743.) 

Joseph  Stiles,  Phila.,  1754:    "Merchants  Accounts."    (Ibid,  Aug.  1,  22,  1754.) 

William  Thorne,  Phila.,  1766:   "Merchants  Accompts."    (Ibid,  Oct.  9,  16,  1766.) 

Matthew  Maguire,  Phila.,  1770:  "READING,  WRITING,  ARITHMETIC, 
and  ACCOMPTS."    (Ibid,  Oct.  25,  1770.) 

[25] 


I 


and  G.  Noel,  of  New  York  City,  who  gave  "Notice,"  in  1751,  that 
they  "taught  Reading  Writing,  Arithmetick,  and  Accompts  after  the 
Italian  Method  of  Double  Entry;"^i  and  by  Edward  Willett,  and 
George  Adams,  also  of  New  York  City,  who  offered,  in  1758,  "Ac- 
compts, or  the  true  Italian  Method  of  Book-keeping."^-  Most  an- 
nouncements use  some  variation  of  the  following:  "Merchants  Ac- 
compts according  to  the  true  Italian  Method  of  Dr.  and  Cr.  by 
Double  Entry, "^^  or  "Book-keeping  after  the  true  Italian  Method. "^^ 

For  an  interpretation  of  "the  practical  Branches  of  the  Mathe- 
maticks,  an  expression  that  appears  frequently  in  the  announce- 
ments, it  will  be  necessary  to  examine  a  detailed  advertisement,  such 
as  the  following,  of  1734: 

Over  against  the  Post-Office  in  Second-street,  Philadelphia,  is  taught  Writing, 
Arithmetick  in  whole  numbers  and  Fractions,  Vulgar  and  Decimal,  Merchants  Ac- 
compts, Algebra,  Geometry,  Surveying,  Gauging,  Trigonometry,  Plain  and  Spherical, 
Navigation  in  all  kinds  of  Sailing,  Astronomy,  and  all  other  Parts  of  the  Mathematicks 
by  THEOPHILUS  GREW.  His  Hours  are  this  Winter  from  9  to  12  in  the  Morning; 
from  2  to  5  in  the  Afternoon;  and  (for  the  Conveniency  of  those  who  cannot  come  in  the 
Day  time)  from  6  to  9  in  the  Evening.  He  teaches  Writing,  and  Arithmetick  at  the 
usual  Rate  of  10s.  per  Quarter.  Merchants  Accompts,  Navigation,  &c.  for  30s.  per 
Quarter.  And  will  undertake  to  furnish  anyone  with  sufficient  Knowledge  in  any  of 
the  foregoing  Branches,  in  three  Months  time,  provided  the  Person  have  a  tolerable 
Genius  and  observes  a  constant  Application.^ 


31N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan.  21,  28,  1751. 

James,  and  Samuel  Giles,  New  York  City,  1759:  "Book-keeping  in  the  true 
Italian  Manner  of  Double  Entry."  (Parker's  N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr. 
30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759.) 

Samuel  Giles,  1763:  "Merchants  Accompts  in  the  Italian  Method."  (N.  Y. 
Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  21,  1763.)  Samuel  Giles,  1764:  "Merchants  Ac- 
counts in  the  Italian  Method  of  Double  Entrv."    (Ibid,  Apr.  12,  1764.) 

32N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Aug.  14,  28,  Sept.  4,  1758. 

2^N.  Walton,  and  W.  Hetherington,  Phila.,  1745:  "Merchants  Accompts  in  the 
Italian  Manner."    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug.  15,  22,  29,  1745.) 

Andrew  Lamb,  Phila.,  1755:  "Merchants  Accompts  in  the  true  Italian  Method 
of  double  Entry,  Dr.,  and  Cr."   (Ibid,  Oct.  23,  Nov.  6,  1755.) 

A.  Morton,  Phila.,  1757:  "Merchants  Accompts  according  to  the  true  Italian 
Method  of  Dr.,  and  Cr.  by  double  Entry."    (Ibid,  Oct.  20,  1757.) 

Peter  Donworth,  Salem,  Mass.,  1774:  "Book-keeping  after  the  Italian  Manner, 
or  double  entry."    (Essex  Gazette,  Feb.  8-15,  15-22,  1774.) 

s^Robert  Leeth,  New  York  City,  1752:  BOOK  KEEPING  after  the  true  Italian 
Method."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9, 
16,  23,  30,  1752.) 

Thomas  Carroll,  New  York  City,  1765:  "The  Italian  Method  of  Book-keeping." 
(N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765.) 

Gollen,  and  Mountain,  New  York  City,  1774:  "book-keeping  in  the  Italian 
method,  by  double  entries."  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R., 
and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  6,  1774.) 

J.  Mennye,  New  York  City,  1783:  "Book-keeping  according  to  the  Italian 
Method."    (Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  18,  22,  1783.) 

35American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  3-10,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  Dec.  5-12,  1734. 

[26] 


A  year  later,  Grew  added  to  this  notice  "the  use  of  Globes,  Maps, 
Planispheres,  Scales,  Sliding-Rules,  and  all  sorts  of  Mathematical 
Instruments."^*^  As  early  as  1723,  John  Walton,  of  New  York  City, 
taught,  among  other  subjects,  "The  Mariners  Art,  Plain  and  Mer- 
cators  Way;  also  Geometry,  Surveying. "^^  A  Boston  notice  of 
August  31-September  7,  1724  announced  that  "This  Evening  Mr. 
Samuel  Grainger  begins  his  Evening  School  for  Writing,  Accompts, 
and  the  Mathematicks."^^  In  1727,  Grainger  advertised  an  "Even- 
ing School,  for  Writing,  Arithmetick,  Book-keeping,  Navigation, 
&c."^^  Additional  information  concerning  this  practical  curriculum 
is  supplied  by  the  course  of  study  offered  by  Charles  Fortesque,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  1743,  which  included  "Mensuration,  Dialling, 
Geography  .  .  .  Chronology. "■*"  In  a  notice  published  by  James, 
and  Samuel  Giles,  of  New  York  City,  in  1759,  mensuration  appears 
as  "mensuration  of  superficies  and  solids. "^^  The  curriculum  an- 
nounced by  Edward  Willett,  and  George  Adams,  of  New  York  City, 
in  1758,  contained,  in  addition  to  the  subjects  already  mentioned, 
"Gunnery;"'*^  and  that  of  Robert  Kennedy,  John  Maxfield,  and 
David  Kennedy,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1760,  "CONIC  SECTIONS  and 
STEREOMETRY."43    "Fortification"  is  added  bv  William  Cock- 


s^American  Weekly  Mercury,    Oct.  16-23,  1735. 

William  Dawson,  Phila.,  1754:  "the  use  of  the  Gunter's  sliding-rule,  necessary 
for  most  tradesmen,  and  others."  (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  19,  Oct.  10,  1754.) 
Wm.  Dawson,  Phila.,  1760:  "all  the  necessary  Branches  of  the  Mathematics,  with 
the  Solution  of  every  Problem  by  the  plain  or  sliding  Gunter."  (Ibid,  Nov.  20,  Dec. 
4,  1760.) 

Maguire,  and  Power,  Phila.,  1771:  "the  use  of  globes  and  maps;  and  how  to 
make  maps."    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  12,  1771.) 

Alexander,  and  William  Power,  Phila.,  1772:  "the  use  of  the  globes,  and  maps." 
(Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1772.) 

3'American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723._ 

Andrew  Lamb,  Phila.,  1755:  "Great-Circle  Sailing."  (Pennsylvania  Gazette, 
Oct.  23,  Nov.  6,  1755.) 

Robert  Leeth,  New  York  Citv,  1755:  "Great  Circle  Sailing."  (N.  Y.  Gazette 
or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  May  12,  19,  26,  1755.) 

'^Boston  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1724. 

3!'Ibid,  Sept.  4-11,  11-18,  1727. 

^"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15,  20,  1743. 

See  also:  Searson,  N.  Y.  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  29, 
Oct.  6,  13,  1755):  Wragg,  N.  Y.  (Ibid,  Apr.  7,  12,  May  5,  1755):  Hutchins,  N.  Y. 
(N.  Y.  Mercury,  Apr.  25,  May  2,  1763);  Gilliland,  N.  Y.  (N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly 
Mercury,  Dec.  14,  28,  1772);  Mennye,  N.  Y.  (Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  18,  22,  1783); 
Kennedy,  Maxfield,  and  Kennedy,  Phila.  (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct. 
2,  1760)' 
_  "Parker's  N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759. 

■  «N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Aug.  14,  28,  Sept.  4,  1758. 

■  ^spennsvlvania  Gazette,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  1760. 

■  William  Ranstead,  Phila.,  1756:    "Steriometry."    (Ibid,  Nov.  25,  1756.) 


[27] 


burn,  of  New  York.  City,  in  1764;^'*  "Fluctions,"  by  Alexander  Power, 
of  Philadelphia,  in  1766,'*^  and  "the  theory  of  pendulums"  by  John 
Wilson,  of  the  same  city,  in  1772.'*^  Wilson  also  taught  "the  con- 
struction of  logarithms." 

This  comprehensive  practical  curriculum  is  admirably  summed 
up  in  a  Philadelphia  notice  of  1771: 

An  Evening  School,  for  the  following  branches,  kept  by  the  subscriber  in,  Gray's- 
alley,  near  Dr.  Thomas  Bond's  in  Second-street,  viz.  Arithmetic,  geometry,  trigonom- 
etry, algebra,  book-keeping,  surveying,  levelling,  gauging,  mensuration,  dialling, 
geography,  spherics,  conies,  navigation,  astronomy,  mechanics,  hydraulics,  hydro- 
statics, pneumatics,  optics,  perspective,  architecture,  fortification,  gunnery,  with  the 
application  and  practical  uses  of  each,  in  several  trades  and  manufactures,  in  build- 
ing all  kinds  of  water-works,  as  docks,  bridges,  &c.  also  locks,  sluices,  and  aqueducts 
for  inland  navigation;  in  the  construction  of  various  kinds  of  mills,  and  engines  for 
abridging  the  labour  of  men;  together  with  the  most  expeditious  method  of  designing 
and  drawing  plans,  elevations,  sections,  and  perspective  views  in  architecture,  and  to 
embellish  the  same,  likewise  exact  methods  of  drawing  any  mill  or  engine,  though  of 
the  most  complex  structure,  so  that  another  may  be  made  similar  thereto  by  any  in- 
telligent workman,  with  some  other  articles  worthy  of  notice,  too  tedious  to  insert 

here. A  few  sober,  well  disposed  young  men,  who  are  desirious  to  apply  diligently 

to  any  of  the  above  branches,  may  be  boarded  upon  reasonable  terms  by  the  sub- 
scriber, who  will  take  particular  care  of  the  morals  and  behaviour  of  such  as  are  in- 
trusted to  his  care. 

Christopher  Colles.'*" 

In  the  same  year,  Thomas  Nevell,  also  of  Philadelphia,  gave  evening 

instruction  in  "the  art  of  architecture." 

The  practical  purpose  of  geometry,  and  trigonometry  is  seen  in 

their  relation  to  navigation,  and  surveying.    In  the  courses  of  study 

examined,  they  were  usually  allied  with  these  two  subjects.    Several 

interesting  records  indicate  this  connection.    In  advertisements  of 

1753,  and   1754,  John  Lewis,  of  New  York  City,  announced  that 

"W^hat  is  called  a  new  Method  of  Navigation,  is  an  excellent  Method 

of  Trigonometry  here  particularly  applied  to  Navigation;  But  is  of 

great  Use  in  all  kinds  of  Measuring  and  in  solving  many  Arithmetical 

Questions. "^^    James    Cosgrove,   of  Philadelphia,   in    1755,    taught 

"geometry,  trigonometry,  and  their  application  in  surveying,  navi- 


^*N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan.  12,  Feb.  16,  1764. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  2,  9,  1766. 

«Ibid,  Dec.  9,  1772. 

John  HefFernan,  Phila.,  1774;  "logarithms."    (Ibid,  Sept.  14,  1774.) 

J.  Mennye,  New  York  City,  1782-1783:  "the  Method  of  making  Logarithms  to 
any  Number  of  Places  will  be  taught,  in  as  extensive  a  Manner  as  they  have  hitherto 
been  in  any  University  in  Europe."    (Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  18,  22,  1783.) 

■•'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  26,  1771. 

See  Appendix  A  for  announcement  by  Thomas  Carroll,  New  York  Citv,  1765. 

"SN.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Oct.  8,  15,  Nov.  26,  Dec.  3,  24,  1753;  Jan. 
7,  14,21,  1754. 

[28] 


gation,  &:c,"^^  and  Alexander  Power,  in  1766,  "with  their  Appli- 
cation to  Surveying,  Navigation,  Geography,  and  Astronomy."^" 
Another  New  York  City  master,  William  Cockburn,  in  1764,  offered 
"Trigonometry,  with  its  Application  to  the  taking  of  Heights  and 
Distances  .  .  .  Spherical  Trigonometry,  with  its  Application  to 
Great  Circle  Sailing  and  Astronomy.""^ 

In  many  of  the  advertisements,  "the  practical  Branches  of  the 
Mathematicks"  are  not  enumerated  as  in  the  notices  reproduced 
above.  Common  abbreviations  of  this  curriculum  are  "all  Parts  of 
the  Mathematicks,"  "any  of  the  Branches  of  the  Mathematicks," 
"all  of  the  necessary  Branches  of  the  Mathematicks,"  and  "the  most 
useful  branches  of  the  Mathematicks."  James  Lyde,  of  New  York 
City,  in  1730,  taught  "in  the  Evening  .  .  .  Arithmetick,  in  all  its 
parts.  Geometry,  Trigonometry,  Navigation,  Surveying,  Gauging, 
Algebra,  and  sundry  other  of  the  said  Parts  of  the  Mathematicks;"''^ 
and  Charles  Shimmin,  ot  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  1772,  "WRITING, 
ARITHMETICK,  NAVIGATION  or  any  other  Branch  of  the 
MATHEMATICKS."''^  Other  evening  school  advertisements  use 
the  abbreviation  "&c."  in  this  connection:  Samuel  Grainger,  and 
John  Vinal,  of  Boston,  in  1727,  and  1756,  respectively,  taught 
"Writing,  Arithmetick,  Book-keeping,  Navigation,  &c.,"  and  "Writ- 
ing, Vulgar  and  Decimal  Arithmetick,  t^.c.dcc.'""* 

The  most  popular  of  the  "practical  Branches  of  the  Mathe- 
maticks" were  surveying,  and  navigation.  In  fact,  the  demand  for 
instruction  in  these  "branches"  was  so  great,  that  they  were  early 
elevated  to  the  status  of  independent  subjects. 

Throughout  the  colonies  there  were  many  evening  schools  other 
than  those  belonging  strictly  to  the  types  just  considered.  One  in- 
teresting institution  was  the  evening  "academy,"  a  good  illustration 
of  which  is  given  in  the  following  announcement,  of  October  17-24, 
1723: 

There  is  a  School  in  New  York,  in  the  Broad  Street,  near  the  Exchange,  where 
Mr.  John  Walton,  late  of  Yale  Colledge,  Teacheth  Reading,  Writing,  Arethmatick, 
whole  Numbers  and  Fractions,  Vulgar  and  Decimal,  The  Mariners  Art,  Plain  and  Mer- 
cators  Way;  Also  Geometry,  Surveying,  the  Latin  Tongue,  the  Greek  and  Hebrew 
Grammers,  Ethicks,  Rhetorick,  Logick,  Natural  Philosophy  and  Metaphysicks,  all  or 


^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755. 

501  bid,  Oct.  2,  9,  1766. 

"N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Jan.  12,  Feb.  16,  1764. 

52N.  Y.  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1730. 

"Essex  Gazette,  Dec.  8-15,  15-22,  1772;  Sept.  21-28,  1773. 

^^Boston  Gazette,  Sept.  4-11,  11-18,  1727. 

Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Sept.  13,  27,  1756. 

[29] 


any  of  them  for  a  Reasonable  Price.  The  School  from  the  first  of  October  till  the  first 
of  March  will  be  tended  in  the  Evening.  If  any  Gentlemen  in  the  Country  are  dis- 
posed to  send  their  Sons  to  the  said  School,  if  they  apply  themselves  to  the  Master  he 
will  immediately  procure  suitable  Entertainment  for  them,  very  Cheap.  Also  if  any 
Young  Gentlemen  of  the  City  will  please  to  come  in  the  Evening  and  make  some  Tryal 
of  the  Liberal  Arts,  they  may  have  opportunity  of  Learning  the  same  Things  which  are 
commonly  Taught  in  Colledges.^ 

This  is  the  earliest  available  record  of  an  "academy"  in  the  American 

colonies. 

An  appreciable  number  of  evening  schools  offered  instruction 
in  the  ancient  languages.  John  Walton,  cited  in  the  preceding  para- 
graph, advertised  "the  Latin  Tongue,  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  Cram- 
mers." In  1743,  Charles  Fortesque,  of  Philadelphia,  gave  instruc- 
tion in  "The  Latin  Tongue,"  in  addition  to  the  practical  subjects."^ 
Latin,  and  Creek  appear  in  the  evening  courses  announced  by 
Thomas  Metcalfe,  of  New  York  City,  in  1747;'''  Robert  Kennedy, 
John  Maxfield,  and  David  Kennedy,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1760;^^ 
and  Peter  Don  worth,  of  Marblehead,  Massachusetts,  in  1774."^ 
"JOHN  HEFFERNAN,  TEACHER  of  the  MATHEMATICS  and 
the  ENGLISH  Language,"  in  Philadelphia,  1774,  taught  "Latin 
grammar,  and  a  few  of  its  subsequent  classics,  with  a  concise  but 
comprehensive  method  of  parsing. "^° 

Evening  schools  offering  instruction  in  the  modern  languages 
were  by  no  means  uncommon.  A  Philadelphia  advertisement  of 
November  10,  1743,  announces  that  Joseph  Crellius  "designs  to 
open  his  Winter  Evening  School  on  Monday  the  21st  Instant,  where 
the  German  Language  will  be  taught  in  a  plain  and  easy  manner  to 
such  Gentlemen  as  desire  to  be  instructed  therein."''^    In  the  same 


■^^American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723.  This 
"academy"  antedated  the  Philadelphia  Academy  by  twenty-eight  years. 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15,  20,  1743. 

See  also:  James  Cosgrove,  Phila.  (Ibid,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755.");  Francis  Daymon, 
Phila.    (Ibid,  Apr.  25,  Oct.  3,  1771;  Apr.  14,  1773.) 

"New  York  Evening  Post,  Aug.  3,  1747. 

See  also:  B.  Leigh,  and  G.  Noel,  New  York  City  (N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the 
Weekly  Post  Bov,  Jan.  21,  28,  1751);  John  Lewis  Mavor,  New  York  City  (N.  Y. 
Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Oct.  8,  15,  Nov.  26,  Dec.  3,  1753;  Sept.  30,  Oct.  14, 
Nov.  4,  11,  1754);  Timothy  Wetmore,  New  York  City,  (N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly 
Mercury,  Jan.  27,  1777). 

^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  18,  Oct.  2,  1760. 

"Essex  Gazette,  Feb.  8-15,  15-22,  1772. 

^"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  14,  1774. 

See  also:  Gabriel  Wavne,  New  York  Citv,  (N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly- 
Post  Bov,  July  30,  Aue.  6,'  13,  27,  1750);  Robert  Leeth,  New  York  Citv  (Ibid,  Sept. 
18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9,  16,  23,  30,  1752);  Thomas  Ross,  New  York,  City  (N.  Y.  Mercury, 
Oct.  7,  1754). 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  10,  16,  24,  1743. 

[30] 


year,  John  Schuppy,  also  of  Philadelphia,  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  "the  German  and  French  Languages  are  greatly  improved  on  in 
Europe,"  and,  he  added  "it's  not  question'd  but  will  be  so  here."^^ 
Schuppy  conducted  a  "German  Evening  School"  in  Philadelphia 
during  the  years  1743-1745.  Another  well-known  teacher  of  German 
in  Philadelphia  was  Jacob  Ehrenzeller,  who  "opened"  an  "Evening 
School"  in  1756.^^  In  a  notice  of  1766,  Ehrenzeller  "takes  this  Method, 
humbly  to  return  Thanks  to  the  Gentlemen  whom  he  had  the  Honour 
to  instruct  in  the  German  Language  these  many  years."'''*  In  addition 
to  French,  and  Latin,  Thomas  Ross,  of  New  York  City,  in  1754, 
taught  "LOW-DUTCH."''^  Obviously,  the  demand  for  German  in 
Philadelphia,  and  Low  Dutch  in  New  York  City  was  influenced  by 
local  conditions. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  steady  demand  for  evening  instruc- 
tion in  French,  Italian,  Portuguese,  and  Spanish.  Benjamin  Leigh, 
and  Garrat  Noel,  of  New  York  City,  in  1751,  offered  "the  French, 
Portuguese,  and  Spanish  Languages, "^^  and  Anthony  Fiva,  from  1773 
to  1775,  "French,  Spanish,  and  Italian. "^^  French,  by  far  the  most 
popular  foreign  language  in  the  American  colonies,  was  taught  by 
many  masters  who  also  gave  instruction  in  other  subjects.^^  A  well- 
established  institution  for  "Young  Gentlemen  and  Misses,  and 
Adults  of  both  Sexes"  was  the  "French  Night  School."  In  1744, 
John  Fouquet,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  opened  a  "French 


^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  16,  24,  Dec.  1,  15,  1743;  Sept.  20,  27,  1744;  Sept. 
26,  1745. 

Seybolt,  R.  F.  "Some  Notes  on  the  Teaching  of  German  in  Colonial  Phila- 
delphia," in  The  Journal  of  English  and  Germanic  Philology^  Vol.  XXIII,  No.  3, 
p.  418-421. 

fi^Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1756. 

"Ibid,  Oct.  30,  1766. 

Jacob  Ehrenzeller,  Phila.,  1770:  "continues  to  teach  the  GERMAN  LANGUAGE 
and  promises  to  exert,  to  the  utmost  of  his  Power,  all  his  Skill  and  Diligence,  in  the 
Execution  of  his  Duty,  to  the  Satisfaction  of  his  Scholars."    (Ibid,  Dec.  13,  1770.) 

Jacob  Lawn,  Phila.,  1783.    fibid,  Sept.  24,  1783.) 

«5N.  Y.  Mercury,  Oct.  7,  1754. 

6«N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan.  21,  28,  1751. 

^"Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser, July  22,  Aug.  12,  Dec.  9,  16,  1773;  May  19,  26,  Dec.  22,  1774. 

^"^John  Lewis  Mavor,  New  York  City,  1753-1754:  "French,  Latin  and  Greek." 
(N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Nov.  26,  Dec.  3,  1753;  Sept.  30,  Oct.  14,  Nov.  4, 
11,  1754.) 

Thomas  Ross,  New  York  City,  1754:  "FRENCH,  LOW-DUTCH,  LATIN." 
(N.  Y.  Mercury,  Oct.  7,  1754.) 

Gollen,  and  Mountain,  New  York  City,  1774:  "the  French  and  other  languages, 
&c.  &c."  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly 
Advertiser,  Oct.  6,  1774.) 

Francis  Vandale,  New  York  City,  1775:  "French  and  other  languages."  (Ibid, 
Oct.  26,  Nov.  9,  16,  1775.) 

[31] 


Evening  School  for  young  Gentlemen  at  40s.  per  Month. "^^  A  New 
York  City  advertisement,  of  1757,  gave  notice  that  "Young  Gentle- 
men and  Ladies  may  be  taught  the  FRENCH  language  in  a  Manner 
the  most  modern  and  expeditious  by  one  lately  arrived  from  London, 
who  has  made  his  Tour  through  France."^"  Other  French  evening 
schools,  in  New  York  City,  were  kept  by  John  Girault,  in  1771- 
1772,71  John  Haumaid,  in' 1772-1773,^2  m.  Teniere,  in  1777,"  and 
Thomas  Egan,  in  1780;^'*  and  in  Philadelphia,  by  William  W.  Fen- 
tham,  in  1770,^^  and  Jacob  Lawn,  in  1783.'^^  French  was  considered 
a  "very  fashionable  and  necessary  language"  in  the  eighteenth 
century. 

Before  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  curricula  of 
the  evening  schools  included  such  subjects  as  algebra,  astronomy, 
book-keeping,  chronology,  dialling,  English,  ethics,  French,  geography 
geometry,  German,  Greek,  gauging,  Hebrew,  history,  Latin,  logar- 
ithms, logic,  metaphysics,  natural  philosophy,  navigation,  rhetoric, 
surveying,  and  trigonometry. 

There  was  no  evening  school  curriculum  as  such.  Each  school 
had  its  own  offering  of  subjects,  and  this  was  determined  either  by 
local  demand,  or  by  the  qualifications  of  the  masters.  Obviously, 
no  student  took,  in  any  one  "season,"  all  of  the  courses  offered  in  the 
more  comprehensive  curricula  announced  by  some  of  the  masters. 
The  subjects  were  elected  singly,  or  in  any  combination  desired  by 
the  students. 

It  is  evident  that  some  of  the  schools  were  distinctly  elementary 
in  character.  But  few  were  what  could  be  termed  "secondary." 
Most  of  the  evening  schools  offering  instruction  in  the  higher  sub- 
jects included  the  rudiments  as  well. 


fi'South  Carolina  Gazette,  Nov.  12,  19,  1744. 

70N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Oct.  17,  24,  1757. 

^»N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Sept.  9,  16,  23,  1771. 

John  Philipse,  New  York  City,  1758.  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan. 
30,  Feb.  6,  20,  Mar.  6,  1758.) 

72N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Sept.  21,  1772. 

"Ibid,  Sept.  1,  8,  15,  Oct.  6,  13,  20,  1777. 

^"Ibid,  Jan.  10,  1780. 

'^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  29,  Dec.  27,  1770. 

Francis  Daymon,  Phila.,  1770-1773.  (Ibid,  Nov.  29,  Dec.  20,  1770;  Feb.  21, 
Apr.  25,  Sept.  5,  Oct.  3,  1771;  Apr.  14,  June  9,  Nov.  17,  1773.) 

'«Ibid,  Sept.  24,  1783. 

[32] 


CHAPTER  IV 
METHODS  OF  INSTRUCTION 

References  to  the  methods  of  instruction  employed  in  the  even- 
ing schools  are  not  very  numerous,  and  the  few  that  are  to  be  found 
in  the  records  are  rather  indifferent  in  character.  However,  it  may  be 
profitable  to  examine  some  of  the  statements  made  by  the  masters 
themselves. 

But  little  information  is  to  be  gained  from  announcements  to 
the  effect  that  certain  subjects  will  be  taught  "carefully,"  "with  the 
greatest  care  and  diligence,"  "in  a  plain,  practical,  and  concise 
Method,"  and  "according  to  the  most  modern  and  improved  Meth- 
ods." John  Young,  of  New  York  City,  in  1761,  taught  "Reading, 
Writing,  Arithmetick,  and  Merchants  Accounts  in  the  newest  and 
most  concise  Methods  hitherto  taught  in  this  City,"^  and  Charles 
Shimmin,  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  1772,  "WRITING,  ARITH- 
METIC, NxWIGATION  .  .  .  according  to  the  best  and  most  ap- 
proved Methods  now  taught  in  England."^  Nothing  more  definite 
is  contained  in  most  of  the  records. 

The  masters  stated,  in  some  instances,  that  their  methods  would 
be  adapted  to  the  abilities  of  their  students.  In  Samuel  Grainger's 
evening  school,  in  Boston,  1724,  "such  as  intend  to  learn  .  .  .  shall 
be  dispatcht  with  Expedition  suitable  to  their  Application."^  John 
Sims,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  announced,  in  1759,  that  "he 
endeavours  to  study  the  Genius  of  his  Scholars,  whether  of  exalted 
or  inferior  Capacities,  and  conducts  himself  accordingly."*  They 
do  not  reveal  any  of  the  details  of  their  class-room  technique,  how- 
ever. 

Only  a  few  of  the  notices  throw  more  light  upon  the  matter,  and 
these  offer  but  a  glimpse  of  the  methods  used  in  teaching  such  sub- 
jects as  Latin,  German,  French,  English,  surveying,  navigation,  and 
book-keeping. 

The  records  indicate  that  instruction  in  Latin  was  adapted  to 
the  practical,  as  well  as  the  purely  cultural  requirements  of  the 

IN.  Y.  Mercury,  Sept.  7,  1761. 

2Essex  Gazette,  Dec.  8-15,  15-22,  1772;  Sept.  21-28,  1773. 

'Boston  Gazette,  Aug.  21-Sept.  7,  1724. 

^Newport  Mercury,  May  22,  June  5,  1759. 

[33] 


students.^  Frances  Daymon,  of  Philadelphia,  appears  to  have  taught 
the  language  with  reference  to  the  needs  of  druggists,  and  physicians. 
In  a  notice  of  November  29,  1770,  he  announced  that  "The  Youth 
who  have  no  leisure  to  spend  a  long  time  in  learning  Latin;  as  Sur- 
geons, Apothecaries,  Druggists,  Chymists,  &c.  may  be  taught  in  that 
branch  of  learning  with  the  greatest  expedition,  after  the  manner  of 
the  two  learned  and  celebrated  gentlemen  Mr.  Locke,  and  Mons. 
Crousaz,  that  is,  with  little  grammar,  in  which  the  too  diffusive  and 
intricate  rules  are  wholly  useless  for  that  purpose."^ 

German  was  taught  "according  to  the  Rules  of  the  Syntax"  by 
Jacob  Ehrenzeller,  Philadelphia's  best  known  teacher  of  "this 
necessary  and  useful  Language."^ 

Anthony  Fiva,  of  New  York  City,  who  advertised,  in  1773,  that 
he  "continues  to  teach  grammatically  .  .  .  the  French,  Spanish, 
and  Italian  Languages,"  announced  to  his  prospective  pupils  that  he 
would  "ground  them  both  in  the  true  accent  of  these  polite  languages, 
and  all  the  rules  of  the  syntax."^  His  notice  of  1774  contains  the 
additional  information  that  he  taught  these  languages  with  the  view 
of  fitting  "his  pupils  in  a  short  time  to  carry  on  an  epistolary  cor- 
respondence, so  useful  particularly  to  young  persons  in  business."^ 
French  was  offered  by  John  Philipse,  of  New  York  City,  in  1758, 
"according  to  Mr.  Paillaret's  System  ;"^°  and  John  Girault,  who 
kept  a  "French  Night  School,"  in  New  York  City,  in  1773,  instructed 
"his  pupils  in  all  the  variations  of  this  polite  tongue,  after  the  rules  of 
the  most  approved  grammars,  founded  on  the  decisions  of  the 
Academy  at  Paris. "^^  A  Philadelphia  "Master  of  the  French,  Latin, 
&c.,"  who  also  taught  "in  the  newest  and  most  expeditious  Method, 


^Charles  Fortesque,  Phila.,  1743:  "likewise  intends  for  the  future  to  instruct  his 
Latin  Scholars  in  Writing  himself."  (Pennsvlvania  Gazette,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15, 
20,  1743. 

James  Cosgrove,  Phila.,  1755:  "Latin  bv  the  newest  and  most  effectual  methods." 
(Ibid,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755.) 

John  Heffernan,  Phila.,  1774:  "Latin  Grammar,  and  a  few  of  its  subsequent 
Classics,  with  a  concise  and  comprehensive  method  of  parsing."    (Ibid,  Sept.  14,  1774.) 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  29,  1770. 

"Ibid,  Oct.  30,  1766. 

^Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser, Dec.  9,  1773. 

In  1774,  Fiva  "Informs  his  friends.  .  .That  he  still  continues  teaching  the  above 
languages.  .  .after  the  manner  of  academies,  universities,  and  colleges  of  the  learned 
world."    (Ibid,  Dec.  22,  1774.) 

'Ibid,  May  19,  26,  1774. 

i°N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Feb.  6,  20,  Mar.  6,  1758. 

"Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser, Sept.  16,  23,  Oct.  7,  14,  1773. 

[34] 


agreeable  to  the  latest  Improvements  of  the  French  Academy," 
announced,  in  1771,  that  he  "proposes  to  bestow  a  Gold  Medal  in 
the  beginning  of  May  next,  to  that  Scholar,  who  shall,  in  the  presence 
of  competent  judges,  translate  English  into  French  with  the  greatest 
facility,  and  who  shall  be  best  acquainted  with  the  idioms  and  genius 
of  that  language. "^^ 

English  was  usually  taught  "grammatically;"  in  fact,  grammar 
as  a  foundation  for  all  advanced  work  in  "English  reading  and  speak- 
ing" received  a  great  deal  of  attention  during  the  eighteenth  century. 
As  early  as  1743,  English  was  taught,  in  an  evening  school,  "in  a 
grammatical  Manner,"  by  Charles  Fortesque,  of  Philadelphia.^^ 
A  long  advertisement  by  Hugh  Hughes,  of  New  York  City,  in  1772, 
throws  considerable  light  upon  the  methods  of  teaching  the  subject: 

To  the  PUBLIC 
THE  SUBSCRIBER  proposes,  if  encouraged,  to  teach  the  English  Language  gram- 
matically. And,  for  the  Satisfaction  of  those  who  may  be  disposed  to  encourage  such  a 
necessary  Mode  of  Education  as  that  of  instructing  Youth  in  the  grammatical  Knowl- 
edge of  their  native  Tongue,  confessedly  is,  he  gives  the  following  Sketch  of  a  Plan 
which  he  has  adopted.  When  the  Pupil  can  read  fluently  and  write  a  legible  Hand,  he 
will  be  taught  the  English  Accidence,  or  the  Properties  ot  the  Parts  of  Speech,  as  divided 
and  explained  in  the  latest  and  most  eminent  English  Grammarians;  that  is  DOCTOR 
LOWTH,  DOCTOR  PRIESTLY,  and  others.  After  which  he  will  be  taught  how  to 
parse  disjunctively,  then  modally,  and  instructed  in  the  Rules  of  English  Syntax; 
and,  when  he  is  sufficiently  skilled  in  them  to  account  for  the  Construction  of  the 
Sentences  in  general,  he  will  receive  Lessons  of  false  Spelling  and  irregular  Concord, 
&c.  taken  from  some  classic  Author,  but  rendered  ungrammatical  for  the  Purpose  of 
trying  his  Judgment.  When  he  has  reduced  these  as  near  their  Originals,  as  his  Knowl- 
edge of  Grammar  will  permit,  he  will  be  shown  all  such  irregularities  as  may  have 
escaped  his  Notice,  either  in  the  orthographical  or  syntactical  Part.  These  Lessons  will 
also  be  selected  from  different  Authors  on  various  Subjects;  and  frequently  from 
the  Works  of  those  who  are  the  most  celebrated  for  the  Elegance  of  their  Epistolary 
Writings;  as  this  Kind  of  Compositon  is  acknowledged  to  be  as  difficult  as  any, 
and  of  greater  Utility.  The  erroneous  Part  in  every  Lesson  will  likewise  be  modified- 
At  one  Time,  it  will  consist  of  false  Spelling  alone.  At  another  of  only  false  Concord. 
The  next  perhaps,  will  consist  of  both.  The  4th  may  not  be  composed  of  either 
of  them,  but  may  contain  some  Inaccuracies,  or  Vulgarisms  &c.  The  5th  may  re- 
tain all  the  foregoing  Improprieties,  and  the  last,  none  of  them,  of  which  the  Pupil 
needs  not  be  apprised,  for  Reasons  that  are  too  evident  to  require  a  Recital.  To  the 
preceding  Exercises  will  succeed  others  on  the  Nature  and  Use  of  Transposition  -  - 
The  Ellipses  of  all  the  Parts  of  Speech,  as  used  by  the  best  Writers,  together  with  the 
Use  of  synonymous  Terms  -  -  A  general  Knowledge  of  all  which  joined  to  Practice, 
will  enable  Youth  to  avoid  the  many  orthographical  Errors,  Barbarisms,  inelegant 
Repetitions,  and  manifest  Solecisms,  which  they  are  otherwise  liable  to  run  into,  and  in 


^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  3,  1771. 

"Ibid,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15,  20,  1743. 

Alexander  Power,  Phiia.,  1766  (Ibid,  Oct.  2,  9,  1766);  Joseph  Garner,  Phila., 
1766  (Ibid,  Feb.  13,  1766);  John  Beard,  Phila.,  1783  (Ibid,  Oct.  8,  15,  22,  1783);  Joseph 
Ward,  Boston,  1772  (Mass.  Gazette  and  Boston  Weekly  News  Letter,  Oct.  1,  15, 
1772);  Peter  Donworth,  Marblehead,  1774  (Essex  Gazette,  Feb.  8-15,  15-22,  1774). 

[35] 


Time,  render  them  Masters  of  an  easy  elegant  Style  by  which  means  they  will  become 
capable  of  conveying  their  Sentiments  with  Clearness  and  Precision,  in  a  concise  and 
agreeable  manner;  as  well  with  Reputation  to  themselves,  as  Delight  to  their  Freinds  -  - 
Lastly  tho'  the  Pointing  of  a  Discourse  requires  riper  Judgment,  and  a  more  intimate 
Acquaintance  with  the  syntactical  Order  of  Words  and  Sentences  than  the  Generality 
of  Youth  can  be -possessed  of,  to  which  may  be  added,  the  unsettled  State  that  Punctu- 
ation itself  is  really  in;  so  that  very  few  precise  Rules  can  be  given,  without  numerous 
Exceptions,  which  would  rather  embarrass  than  assist  the  Learner;  Yet,  some  general 
Directions  may  be  given,  in  such  a  Manner  as  greatly  to  facilitate  so  desirable  an 
Acquisition;  and  they  will  be  attended  to  on  the  Part  of  the  Tutor,  in  Proportion  to 
the  Susception  of  the  Pupil.  But  he  doth  not  mean  to  insinuate  that  the  most  tractable 
of  mere  Youth  can  be  perfected  in  all  the  Varieties  of  the  Language  in  a  few  Quarters, 
as  Perfection  is  not  to  be  acquired  by  Instruction  alone,  any  more  than  it  is  by  Practice 
without  Instruction.  On  the  Contrary  he  knows  that  it  is  a  Work  which  requires  con- 
siderable Time  and  much  Labour,  on  the  Part  of  the  Teacher;  and  that  all  hasty  Per- 
formances in  Grammar,  have  a  greater  Tendency  to  raise  a  slender  Superstructure  than 
lay  a  permanent  Foundation.  Much  more  might  be  said  on  the  Advantage  resulting 
from  this  Mode  of  Education,  were  they  not  so  very  plain,  that  they  scarcely  require 
mentioning,  and  that  this  is  only  a  Sketch.  However,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  observe, 
that  the  Pupils  by  continually  searching  of  their  Dictionaries  in  Quest  of  Primitives 
and  their  Derivatives,  as  well  as  the  constituent  Parts  of  compound  Terms;  besides 
learning  the  Dependence  that  native  Language  has  on  itself;  will  also  treasure  up  in 
their  Memories  a  vast  Stock  of  Words  from  the  purest  Writers;  And,  what  is  of  infinitely 
more  Value,  their  just  Definitions,  as  every  One  of  this  Class  will  have  Johnson's 
Dictionary  in  Octavo.  Therefore,  if  it  be  true,  that  'He  who  knows  most  Words,  will 
have  most  Ideas,'  and  that  on  the  'Right  Apprehension  of  Words  depends  the  Rectitude 
of  our  Sentiments,'  May  it  not  be  presumed,  that  such  a  Plan,  in  its  full  Extent,  bids 
fair  for  improving  the  Minds  of  Youth  in  Necessary  Knowledge,  and  consequently, 
is  likely  to  produce  intelligent  Men  and  useful  Citizens?  The  Consideration  of  which, 
is,  with  all  due  Deference  most  humbly  submitted  to  the  respectable  Public;  by  its 
greatly  obliged  and  very  humble  Servant, 

H.  Hughes. 

P.  S.  He  intends,  as  soon  as  Opportunity  will  permit,  to  publish  a  series  of  Ratios; 
calculated  for  converting  by  Multiplication  alone,  any  Sum  of  New-York  Currency,  or 
the  Currency  of  any  other  Colony,  into  Sterling;  but  may  be  equally  useful  for  finding 
the  Value  of  a  lower  Currency  in  a  higher;  when  the  difference  between  them  increases, 
or  decreases,  as  it  does  between  Sterling  and  Currency. 

N.  B.  His  Night  School  will  be  opened  on  Monday  Evening  the  6th  of  Jan.,  1772.^^ 

John  Heffernan,  an  evening  school  master  of  Philadelphia,  in  1774, 
taught  "grammatic  English,  with  due  attention  to  emphasis,  pause, 
cadence,  and  puerile  declamation."'''  John  Davis,  of  New  York 
City,  in  1778,  exercised  "the  greatest  care,  not  only  that  they  shall 
learn  to  read  grammatically,  but  be  taught  properly  and  syntacti- 
cally; whence  they  can  discover  the  beauty  and  elegance  of  their 
mother  tongue;  that  they  may  be  able  to  construe  what  they  read. 


"N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Dec.  30,  1771;  Jan.  6,  13,  20,  27,  1772. 

George  Fitzgerald,  Phila.,  1783:  "The  English  language,  according  to  Louth  and 
Sheridan's  grammar  rules."    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  12,  19,  1783.) 

Gollen,  and  Mountain,  New  York  City,  1774  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or 
Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  6,  1774j. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  14,  1774. 


[36] 


thro'  every  part  of  speech.  By  this  means,  the  scholar  is  fully  taught 
to  understand  the  science  of  what  he  reads;  and,  is  able  to  express 
himself  with  propriety. "^^  Another  notice,  of  a  New  York  City 
evening  school,  may  be  of  interest,  at  this  point,  in  which  the  follow- 
ing is  included: 

The  English  Language,  agreeably  to  the  Rules  laid  down  by  the  most  approved 
Grammarians,  and  that  the  Memory  may  be  as  little  burthened  as  possible,  the  Rules 
are  compressed  in  as  few  Words  as  the  Nature  of  the  Subject  will  permit;  and,  in  order 
that  no  Inconveniency  may  arise  from  this  Conciseness,  a  greater  Variety  and  Number 
of  Examples  are  given  to  the  Scholars,  by  way  of  Exercises  than  are  to  be  met  with  in 
any  English  Grammar  yet  published;  Besides,  that  no  Illustration  of  the  Rules  which 
can  possibly  be  wanting,  many  Passages  will  be  produced  from  our  most  celebrated 
Authors,  to  prove,  that  they  themselves,  have  in  many  Instances,  proved  themselves 
to  have  been  ignorant  or  inadvertant  to  several  of  the  Rules  which  are  now  universally 
received  as  Canons;  whence  this  Inference  may  fairly  be  drawn,  that  English  Grammar 
has  hitherto  been  too  much  neglected.^'' 

According  to  most  of  the  notices,  surveying  was  taught  "both  in 
Theory  and  Practice."  A  brief  additional  note  is  supplied  by  Thomas 
Carroll,  of  New  York  City,  who  announced,  in  1765,  that  he  would 
teach  "Surveying  in  Theory,  and  all  its  different  Modes  in  Practice, 
with  two  universal  Methods  to  determine  the  Areas  of  right  lined 
Figures."'^ 

The  teaching  of  navigation  receives  a  more  satisfactory  treat- 
ment in  the  records.  References  to  this  popular  subject  are  both 
numerous,  and  detailed.  John  Walton,  of  New  York  City,  in  1723, 
gave  instruction  in  "The  Mariners  Art,  both  Plain  and  Mercators 
Way."^^  A  notice  published  by  Andrew  Lamb,  of  Philadelphia,  in 
1755,  emphasizes  the  practical  character  of  the  course,  by  calling 
attention  to  the  importance  of  keeping  a  "Journal."    It  follows: 

WRITING,  Arithmetick,  Vulgar  and  Decimal  Fractions,  &c.  Merchants  Ac- 
compts  the  true  Italian  Method  by  double  Entry,  Dr.  and  Cr.  Navigation  in  all  its 

Parts,  both  Theory  and  Practice,  &c. Also  Spherical  Trigonometry,  Great-Circle 

Sailing,  Astronomy,  Surveying,  Guaging,  &c.  and  a  compleat  Method  to  keep  the 
Ship's  Way  at  Sea,  called  a  Journal,  whereby  I  teach  in  my  School,  to  find  the  Longi- 
tude at  Sea  every  Day  at  Noon,  by  true  Proportions;  as  sure  as  the  Latitude  by  Obser- 
vation of  the  Sun;  I  have  the  originals  to  Produce,  in  which  it  will  appear  the  Plan  is 
like  a  Chain,  the  first  Link  of  which  being  fixed  to  the  Port  departed  from;  each  Day's 
Work  a  new  Link  joined  to  the  other,  till  the  last  I,ink  is  fixed  to  the  Port  arrived  at; 
each  Day's  Work  being  truly  wrought,  the  Journal  is  compleat.  My  Journals  from 
England  to  Cape  Henlopen  (or  Cape  James)  in  America;  and  from  thence  to  the 


if'N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Jan.  19,  26,  1778. 

I'Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  18,  22,  1783. 

18N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

G.  McCain,  Phila.,  1766:  "The  Theory  and  Practice  of  Surveying  and  Naviga- 
tion, both  according  to  the  best  Authors  now  in  Print."  (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug. 
7,  1766.) 

i^American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723. 

[37] 


Lizard  Point  again,  I  have  proved  to  be  within  one  Degree  of  Longitude,  (near  140 
Degrees  of  West  Longitude)  as  appears  in  my  Journals  to  be  produced,  with  others  of 
the  like  Sort,  and  are  good  Proofs  of  my  Principles;  although  Sun  and  Stars  should 
disappear  for  several  Days  and  Nights,  my  Plan  will  find  both  Latitude  and  Longitude 
at  Noon  every  Day,  or  any  other  Hour;  it  is  a  rational  Plan  and  founded  upon  great 
and  long  experience  at  Sea,  both  on  board  the  Royal  Navy  and  Merchant  Ships. 
Sailors  take  Care  you  be  not  abused  by  Land  men  pretending  to  this  Plan. 

N.  B.  I  have  taught  Navigation,  and  kept  a  Journal  above  40  Years;  the  Scheme 
is  new  and  never  was  in  printed  Books,  and  has  been  approved  by  proper  Judges,  &c. 
Your  log-line  must  be  50  Feet  between  each  Knot,  and  Glass  just  30  Seconds;  or  your 
Log-line  may  be  48  Feet  between  each  Knot,  and  Glass  just  29  Seconds.  I  give  due 
Attendance  at  my  School  in  Front-street  at  John  Johnston's,  Tallow  Chandler,  next 
Door  to  Mr.  Richardson,  Goldsmith,  up  the  Alley.  And  teach  both  Day  and  Night- 
School,  or  wait  upon  any  Gentleman  at  his  Chamber,  &c. 

ANDREW  LAMB.20 

His  namesake,  James  Lamb,  of  New  York  City,  in  1768,  could  also 
give  his  students  the  benefit  of  actual  experience  at  sea;  "he  has  had 
16  Years  Experience  at  Sea,"  and  "flatters  himself  he  can  render 
Navigation  (in  some  Measure)  familiar  to  the  young  Navigator  the 
first  Voyage.""^  An  important  method  in  Andrew  Lamb's  "Plan," 
that  of  finding  "both  Latitude  and  Longitude  at  Noon  every  Day,  or 
any  other  Hour,"  was  also  emphasized  by  William  Cockburn,  of 
New  York  City,  1764,  who  offered  "a  new  Method  of  observing  the 
Latitude  at  any  Time  of  Day,  so  very  much  wanted  in  thick  Weather 
at  Noon."^' 

David  Ellison,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1771,  taught  "Navigation  in 
all  branches,  both  with  regard  to  theory  and  practice,  with  the  con- 
struction and  use  of  a  true  Sea  Chart  (according  to  the  oblate  spheroid 
figure  of  the  earth)  whereby  the  errors  attending  the  other  projec- 
tions are  avoided,  and  how  to  find  the  latitude  at  sea,  by  two  alti- 
tudes of  the  sun,  at  any  time  of  the  day,  and  to  find  the  longitude  at 
sea,  by  the  altitudes  and  distances  of  the  sun  and  moon,  or  a  known 
fixed  star  and  the  moon."-^  This  method  of  finding  the  latitude  and 
longitude  was  "exhibited  in  John  Hamilton  Moore's  Navigation," 
according  to  an  announcement  by  "Mr.  Evans,"  of  New  York  City, 
in  1781.^'*  In  1773,  Ellison  offered  "the  solution  of  the  problem  for 
finding  the  longitude  at  sea  by  celestial  observation;  also  to  find  the 
latitude  by  the  moon's  meridional  altitude."-''' 


^''Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  23,  Nov.  6,  1755. 
21N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Dec.  12,  1768. 
22Ibid,  Jan.  12,  Feb.  16,  1764. 
^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  17,  24,  1771. 
24Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  17,  20,  31,  Nov.  21,  1781. 
^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  17,  1773. 

Davis,  New  York  City,  1782:   "Practical  Navigation  by  the  most  expeditious  and 
approved  methods,  whereby  the  Navigator  can  never  be  at  a  loss  upon  any  occasion, 

[38] 


Robert  Leeth,  of  New  York  City,  in  1755,  taught  "the  Con- 
struction of  the  Plain  and  Mercator's  Chart  on  the  same  Sheet, 
which  cannot  but  give  the  young  Artist  a  clearer  Idea  of  the  Error 
of  the  One  and  the  Truth  of  the  other,"^^  and  Thomas  Carroll,  in 
1765,  "the  Construction  and  Use  of  the  Charts,  and  Instruments 
necessary  for  keeping  a  Sea-Journal  with  a  Method  to  keep  the  same, 
were  the  Navigator  deprived  of  his  Instruments  and  Books  &c.  by 
any  Accident."-^ 

In  most  of  the  evening  schools  of  the  colonial  period,  mer- 
chants accounts,  or  book-keeping,  was  taught  "after  the  Italian 
Method  of  Double  Entry."  Alexander,  and  William  Power,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  1772,  offered  "BOOK-KEEPING  in  the  newest  and 
most  approved  method  now  taught  in  Dublin,"-^  and  George  Fitz- 
gerald, in  1783,  "according  to  Bowling's  system,  which  is  allowed  to 
be  the  most  accurate  method  now  extant  in  Europe."  Fitzgerald 
advised  "gentlemen  who  intended  their  children  for  mercantile 
business"  that  "his  method  of  instruction"  was  "adapted  to  real 
trade. "2^ 

For  purposes  of  illustration,  actual  journals,  or  ledgers,  were 
examined,  and  analyzed  in  the  evening  classes  of  John  Heffernan,  of 
Philadelphia.  He  taught,  in  1774,  "Italian  book-keeping,  with  sun- 
dry domestic,  foreign,  and  company  accompts  demonstratively 
journalized. "^° 

An  occasional  exception  to,  or  criticism  of,  the  Italian  method 
is  to  be  found  in  the  advertisements.    William  Dawson,  of  Phila- 

to  find  the  ship's  place,  by  dead  reckoning  and  celestial  observation,  and  to  this  pur- 
pose also  are  taught  the  doctrine  of  the  Orthographic  and  Stereographic  Projection  of 
the  Sphere,  Spheric  Trigonometry,  with  its  application  to  Astronomy,  by  which  he 
will  be  led  to  the  summit  of  his  wishes,  it  being  supposed,  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  New  Method  of  finding  the  Latitude  by  two  altitudes  of  the  Sun,  and  of  finding 
the  Longitude  by  the  Moon's  distance  from  the  Sun,  &c."  (N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly 
Mercury,  Jan.  7,  14,  Oct.  14,  21,  1782.) 

J.  Mennye,  New  York  City,  1783:  "Navigation,  together  with  the  new  Method 
of  finding  the  Latitude  and  Longitude  will  be  taught  in  a  short  Time  to  those  who  are 
already  acquainted  with  Figures.  Likewise  the  Method  of  making  a  Chart,  fitted  to 
any  Voyage."    (Royal  Gazette,  Oct.  18,  22,  1783.) 

26N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  May  12,  19,  26,  1755. 

2'N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  .30,  1772. 

2sibid,  Nov.  12,  19,  1783. 

"At  the  new  Academy... an  Evening  Seminary,"  Phila.,  1766:  "Merchants 
Accounts  so  effectually  as  to  render  the  Pupil  qualified  to  enter  a  Compting  House." 
(Ibid,  Sept.  18,  1766.) 

Davis,  New  York  City,  1782:  "Book-keeping  in  the  exemplary  manner,  so  that 
the  Book-keeper  can  adapt  his  ideas  to  any  circumstances  in  trade  and  business." 
(N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Jan.  7,  14,  Oct.  14,  21,  1782.) 

^"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  14,  1774. 

[39] 


delphia,  in  1755,  for  example,  taught  book-keeping  "by  way  of  single 
entry,  in  a  plain  and  methodical  manner. "^^  In  the  same  year,  John 
Searson,  of  New  York  City,  announced  that  "as  'tis  evident  it  would 
be  too  tedious  and  require  too  much  Leisure  and  time  for  the  Shop- 
keeper and  Retailer  to  keep  to  all  the  Rules  of  Merchants  Accompts," 
he  "proposes  to  teach  a  very  short  and  perspicuous  Method  for 
Retails  &c.  to  adjust  their' Accompts  by."^^  An  interesting  criticism 
was  published  by  George  Robinson,  of  New  York  City,  in  1770: 
This  is  to  inform  the  Public,  That 
George  Robinson, 
Late  of  Old  England,  purposes  opening  an  EVENING  SCHOOL,  at  his  house  on 
Golden  Hill,  New  York,  January  the  8th  for  book-keeping  as  used  in  London,  either  in 
the  wholesale  or  retail  way:  Has  practised  it  upwards  of  twenty  years,  having  served 
an  apprenticeship  in  the  mercantile  way,  and  ever  after  constantly  used  to  it.  Presumes 
it  necessary  almost  every  Person  intended  for  business  should  learn  a  course  of  book- 
keeping; but  begs  leave  to  say,  not  in  the  customary  way:  Witness  the  complaints 
among  merchants  and  tradesmen,  that  their  boys  when  they  first  come  to  business,  are 
almost  as  ignorant  in  the  management  of  their  books  as  if  they  had  never  learnt  any 
method.  There  is  boys  who  have  not  had  time  to  learn,  or  perhaps  a  capacity  to  under- 
stand a  compleat  course  of  the  Italian,  which  is  commonly  promiscuously  alone  taught 
to  all;  there  are  also  many  intended  for  such  business  as  that  the  Italian  method  is 
thrown  away  upon  them.  Hours  from  6  to  8.'^ 

In  some  of  the  schools  the  younger  students  were  separated 
from  the  older  ones.  Alexander,  and  William  Power,  of  Philadelphia, 
in  1772,  had  "two  large  rooms  on  the  same  floor,  one  of  which  will 
be  for  the  reception  of  young  men,  and  others  who  would  not  choose 
to  study  in  a  crowded  school,  composed  of  boys  of  every  denomina- 
tion. Pupils  of  more  tender  years,  in  the  adjoining  room,  will  have  a 
double  advantage  by  being  separated,  because  they  can  be  properly 
classed,  the  school  not  so  much  hurried,  and  they  not  liable  to  be 
imposed  on  by  those  of  riper  years. "^'* 

Another  feature  of  class-room  technique  is  indicated  by  the 
practice  of  limiting  the  number  of  students.  Thomas  Carroll,  of  New 
York  City,  in  1766,  would  not  "crowd  his  School  with  more  than  he 
can  teach  at  a  Time."^^  In  this  connection,  Matthew  Maguire,  of 
Philadelphia,  made  the  following  announcement,  in  1770:  "I  am  de- 
termined to  take  no  more  than  such  a  number  as  I  shall  be  able  to 
give  proper  attendance  to."'*" 

An  "Evening  Seminary"  announcement  of  Philadelphia,  in  1766, 
contains   the   information    that   "Examinations   will   be   held   every 


^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Apr.  10,  1755. 

32N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  29,  Oct.  6,  13,  1755. 

^N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Jan.  1,  8,  15,  22,  29,  1770. 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  30,  1772. 

35N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

[40] 


Week."^^  Examinations  were  conducted  by  Francis  Daymon,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  1771,  "in  the  presence  of  competent  judges.""''^ 
Thomas  Carroll,  of  New  York  City,  in  1765,  invited  "Gentlemen  to 
visit  his  School,  and  be  Judges  of  the  Progress  his  Pupils  will  make, 
and  the  Benefit  they  must  receive  from  him."^^ 


^''Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  25,  1770. 

Theophilus  Grew,  and  Horace  Jones,  Phi'.a.,  1753:  "they  do  not  intend  many 
Scholars."    (Ibid,  Sept.  20,  27,  1753.)  _ 

John  Beard,  Phila.,  1783:  "He  will  take  but  twenty-five  scholars,  and  he  thinks 
he  will  be  able  to  learn  so  small  a  number  more  in  one  quarter  than  they  would  be  able 
to  learn  in  a  year  at  a  school  where  there  are  sixty  or  seventy,  as  he  will  have  so  much 
time  to  attend  to  them  and  do  the  height  of  justice  to  each  scholar;  they  must  be  well 
recommended  before  he  will  admit  them  to  school."    (Ibid,  Nov.  12,  19,  1783.) 

3'Ibid,  Sept.  18,  1766. 

38Ibid,  Oct.  3,  1771. 

3»N.  Y.  Mercury,  IVIay  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

[41] 


CHAPTER  V 
TUITION  FEES 

Available  records  contain  but  little  information  concerning  the 
rates  of  tuition  in  the  evening  schools.  An  examination  of  186  sep- 
arate source-references  to  evening  schools  in  New  York  City,  between 
the  years  1690  and  1783,  revealed  but  one  definite  indication  of  fees; 
some  84  Philadelphia  advertisements,  of  the  years  1734-1783,  yielded 
six;  and  the  New  England,  and  Southern  newspapers  contained  two 
references  to  fees. 

In  most  of  the  public  announcements  nothing  more  definite 
appears  than  such  statements  as  "reasonable,"  "at  reasonable  Rates," 
and  "upon  very  reasonable  Terms."  Equally  unenlightening  are  the 
advertisements  of  masters  who  made  a  practice  of  "agreeing"  with 
their  students  on  the  rates  of  tuition.  The  following  notice,  which 
appeared  in  the  New  York  Gazette,  August  31-September  7,  1730,  is 
illustrative  of  this  custom: 

On  the  15th  of  September  next,  at  the  Custom  House  in  this  City  (where  a  con- 
venient Room  is  fitted  up)  James  Lyde  designs  to  Teach  in  the  Evenings  (during  the 
Winter)  Arithmetick,  in  all  its  parts,  Geometry,  Trigonometry,  Navigation,  Surveying, 
Gauging,  Algebra,  and  sundry  other  parts  of  Mathematical  Learning,  Whoever  in- 
clines to  be  instructed  in  any  of  the  said  Parts  of  Mathematical  Knowledge,  may  agree 
with  the  said  James  Lyde  at  the  House  of  William  Bradford  in  the  City  of  New  York. 

A  Philadelphia  master,  in  1757,  who  offered  the  same  courses,  with  the 
addition  of  "Merchants  Accompts  according  to  the  true  Italian 
Method  of  Dr.  and  Cr.  by  Double  Entry,"  announced  that  "Young 
Gentlemen  inclining  to  improve  themselves  in  those  Branches  of 
Knowledge,  may  agree  for  the  Winter  Season,  or  otherwise,  at  a 
reasonable  Rate,  with  said  Morton."^  There  must  have  been  uni- 
formity, however,  at  certain  periods,  for  some  of  the  masters  ad- 
vertised that  they  would  teach  their  various  subjects  "at  the  usual 
Rates." 

The  New  York  record,  mentioned  at  the  opening  of  the  chapter, 
informs  us  that  Robert  Leeth,  in  1752,  taught  "Writing  at  8s.  per 
Quarter,  and  vulgar  and  decimal  Arithmetick  at  10s. "'    Some  light 


^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  20,  1757. 

2N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9,  16,  23, 
30,  1752. 

[42] 


may  be  thrown  upon  the  tuition-fees  of  Connecticut,  in  1774,  by  the 

following  notice: 

EVENING  SCHOOL 
For  ALGEBRA,  and  those  useful  (though  neglected)  Rules  in  Arithmetic, 
VULGAR  and  DECIMAL  FRACTIONS,  the  PROGRESSIONAL  Series,  the  EX- 
TRACTION of  the  ROOTS,  &c.  The  Subscriber  proposes  to  teach  provided  not  less 
than  Ten,  at  one  Shilling  Lawful  Money,  per  week,  each,  will  engage,  and  attend  their 
humble  Servant, 
Norwich,  Conn.  Thomas  Eyre.^ 

John  Vinal,  of  Boston,  in  1756,  offered  "Writing,  Vulgar  and  Decimal 
Arithmetick,  &c.  &c.  .  .  at  Eight  Shillings  per  Quarter."^  The 
"Price"  announced  by  Joseph  Ward,  also  of  Boston,  in  1772,  for 
"Writing,  Arithmetic,  English  Grammar,  Logic,  and  Composition" 
was  "15s.  per  Quarter."^  Ward  adds  that  "No  Fire  Money  nor 
Entrance  will  be  required."  Most  of  the  evening  school  notices  do 
not  mention  fire,  and  entrance  fees;  they  were  required  only  by  the 
day  schools.  Ebenezer  Dayton,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  in 
1768,  taught  "Writing  and  Arithmetick,  at  Six  Shillings,  Lawful 
Money,  per  Quarter."^  The  only  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  refer- 
ence is  to  "A  French  Evening  School  for  young  Gentlemen  at  40s. 
per  Month. "'^ 

In  Philadelphia,  Theophilus  Grew,  in  1734,  advertised  that  "He 
teaches  Writing  and  Arithmetick  at  the  usual  Rate  of  10s.  per 
Quarter.  Merchants  Accompts,  Navigation  &c.  for  30s.  per  Quar- 
ter."* The  rate  for  "Writing  in  all  the  hands  of  use;  arithmetick, 
vulgar  and  decimal;  merchants  accounts;  psalmody"  in  William 
Dawson's  evening  school,  in  1753,  was  "Seven  Shillings  and  Six- 
pence a  quarter. "'^  William  Thorne  gave  notice,  in  1766,  that  "ON 
Monday  next,  being  the  13th  Instant,  will  be  opened  an  EVENING 
SCHOOL,  for  the  Instruction  of  Youth  in  Writing,  Arithmetic 
(Vulgar  and  Decimal)  Merchants  Accompts,  Mensuration,  Sur- 
veying, Gauging,  Navigation,- &c.,"  to  which  he  added  the  following: 
"N.  B.  To  prevent  Trouble,  the  Price  is  12s.  6d.  per  Quarter,  Pens, 
Ink  and  Firing  included."'"  An  addendum  of  similar  phraseology 
is  attached  to  Lazarus  Pine's  announcement,  in   1770,  that  "ON 


^Norwich  Packet,  and  Conn.,  N.  H.,  and  R.  I.  Weekly  Advertiser,  Dec.  1,  8, 
1774. 

^Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Sept.  13,  27,  1756. 

^Mass.  Gazette  and  Boston  VVeekly  News  Letter,  Oct.  1,  15,  1772. 

^Newport  Mercury,  Oct.  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1768;  Feb.  27-Mar.  6,  1769. 

^John  Fouquet  (South  Carolina  Gazette,  Nov.  12,  19,  1744). 

sAmerican  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  3-10,  17-24,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  Dec.  5-12,  1734; 
Oct.  16-23,  1735. 

"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Apr.  5,  12,  May  3,  31,  June  14,  28,  1753. 

"Ibid,  Oct.  9,  16,  1766. 

[43] 


Monday  the  9th  of  October  .  .  .  will  be  opened  an  EVENING 
SCHOOL,  where  will  be  taught  Writing  and  Arithmetic."  It  reads: 
"N.  B.  To  prevent  Trouble,  the  Price  will  be  Ten  Shillings  and  Six- 
pence a  Quarter,  Quills  and  Firing  included."" 

In  1772  a  uniform  rate  was  established  for  instruction  in  certain 
subjects,  in  the  evening  schools  of  Philadelphia.  Evidently  this  was 
disregarded  by  Lazarus  Pine,  who  continued  to  charge  "Ten  Shillings 
and  Six-pence  a  Quarter."^-  But  he  was  soon  convinced  that  his  fee 
was  too  low,  and  his  fellow  craftsmen  in  the  city  induced  him  to  ac- 
cept the  schedule  on  which  they  had  agreed.  This  interesting  agree- 
ment was  published  in  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  September  30,  1772: 

THE  Schoolmasters  of  this  city  and  district  beg  leave  to  inform  the  Public,  that 
they  intend  opening  NIGHT-SCHOOLS,  at  their  respective  school-houses,  on  Monday 
Evening,  the  5th  of  October  next,  for  the  instruction  of  vouth  in  READING,  WRIT- 
ING and  ARITHMETIC,  with  the  most  useful  branches  of  the  MATHEMATICS. 
And  to  prevent  all  altercations,  the  price  for  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  will  be 

12/6  per  quarter.  Mathematics  at  the  usual  prices. Whereas  at  a  meeting  of  the 

Schoolmasters,  held  in  this  city,  for  the  purpose  of  regulating  the  price  of  Night-schools, 
it  appeared  that  Mr.  Lazarus  Pine  had  prior  to  the  meeting,  agreed  with  some  persons 
upon  lower  terms  than  those  agreed  on  by  the  meeting;  this  is  to  give  information  to 
such  persons,  that  said  Pine  has  come  into  the  agreement;  It  is  therefore  hoped  that 
such  persons  will  not  take  amiss  his  uniting  with  the  measures  of  his  brethren,  expec- 
ially  as  the  odds  can  be  but  Tuo  Shillings  at  the  most. 

Philadelphia  By  Order  of  the  Meeting 

September  30,  1772.  ANDREW  PORTER 

The  incompleteness  of  the  sources  just  cited  suggests  the  de- 
sirability of  making  a  brief  examination  of  some  of  the  day  school 
records.  Advertisements  indicating  the  rates  of  tuition  in  the  day 
schools  are  more  numerous,  and  it  may  be  interesting  to  turn  to  these 
for  purposes  of  comparison. 

An  unknown  master  of  a  day  school,  in  New  York  City,  an- 
nounced, in  1735,  that  he  "teaches  Reading,  Writing,  and  Arithme- 
tick,  at  very  reasonable  Terms,  which  is  per  Quarter  for  Readers  5s. 
for  Writers  8s.  for  Cypherers  Is."^^  In  1737,  Joshua  Ring,  also  of 
New  York  City,  offered  "Reading,  Writing  and  Arithmetic  at  12s. 
per  Quarter;  Reading  and  Writing  at  10s. "^'^  Robert  Leeth,  in  his 
day  school,  in  1752,  taught  "Writing  at  9s.  per  Quarter;  Vulgar  and 
Decimal  Arithmetick  at  12s."^^  Leeth's  fees  do  not  differ  very  much 
from  those  of  John  Young,  who  announced,  in  1766,  that  he  "con- 


"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  27,  1770. 
^lh\d,  Sept.  26,  1771. 

13N.  Y.  Gazette,  July  14-21,  21-28,  July  28-Aug.  4,  4-11,  1735. 
"N.  Y.  Weekly  Journal,  Apr.  4,  11,  1737. 

i^N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9,  16,  23, 
30,  1752. 

[44] 


tinues  to  teach  as  usual,  Reading  at  9s.,  Writing  at  ]  Is.,  and  Arith- 
metic at  13s.  per  Quarter. "^^  Another  New  York  City  rate  was 
published  by  Amos  Bull,  in  1776,  who  taught  "English  Grammar, 
Reading,  Writing,  and  Arithmetic  ...  at  25s.  per  Quarter  for  each 
Scholar."'^ 

The  unsatisfactory  character  of  the  references  renders  it  equally 
impossible  to  make  any  definite  statements  concerning  the  fees  for 
the  languages,  and  the  "higher  Branches."  M.  Langloiserie,  of 
Boston,  in  1738,  gave  instruction  in  French  "at  the  Rate  of  Twenty 
Shillings  a  Quarter. "^^  A  New  York  City  master,  in  1735,  also  "taught 
the  French  and  Spanish  Languages  .  .  .  for  20s  .  per  Quarter, "^^ 
and  another,  in  1775,  offered  "French  and  other  languages  ...  at 
very  reasonable  rates,"  which  were  £2  "a  piece  {}i  entrance)  a 
quarter."^"  The  rates  for  the  more  advanced  subjects  were  higher 
than  those  for  the  "lower  branches,"  and  the  languages.  Robert 
Leeth,  in  1752,  taught  "BOOK  KEEPING  after  the  true  Italian 
Method  for  4£.  The  Art  of  Navigation  for  3£,"^^  and  John  Young, 
also  of  New  York  City,  in  1766,  announced  "common  Accounts 
for  40s.  Merchants  ditto,  after  the  Italian  Method  for  £4."^^  In 
Philadelphia,  Simon  Williams,  in  1759,  offered  English,  Merchants 
Accounts,  Mathematics,  Greek,  Latin,  Geography,  Rhetoric,  Poetry, 
History,  Moral  Philosophy,  and  Physics  at  the  rate  of  "Twenty 
Shillings  per  Quarter  .   .  .  and  Twenty   Shillings   Entrance. "^^ 

For  obvious  reasons,  tuition  rates  could  not  be  uniform  for  all 
colonies.  The  expression  "at  the  usual  Rates"  would  seem  to  indicate 
that  the  fees  in  any  particular  city  did  not  differ  very  much  in  any 
one-year  period.  A  unique  Philadelphia  record,  quoted  above,  indi- 
cates that,  in  1772,  the  schoolmasters  of  that  city  entered  into  an 
agreement  concerning  the  fees  for  the  various  subjects  taught  in  the 
evening  schools. 


i«N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  19,  26,  1766. 

i^N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  May  13,  20,  1776. 

i^Boston  Gazette,  June  12,  19,  1738.' 

"N.  Y.  Gazette,  July  14-21,  21-28,  July  28-Aug.  4,  4-11,  1735. 

^"Francis  Vandale:  "a  day  and  evening  school."  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer 
or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  26,  Nov.  9,  16,  1775.) 

2'N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  9,  16,  23, 
30,  1752. 

22N.  Y.  Mercury,  May  19,  26,  1766. 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug.  16,  1759. 

[45] 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  "SCHOOL  HOUSE" 

The  school-buildings,  and  class-rooms  were,  in  most  cases,  the 
same  as  those  used  by  the  day  schools  of  the  period.  In  many  in- 
stances this  double  use  is  indicated  in  school-advertisements.  Edward 
Willett,  of  New  York  City,  announced,  in  1757,  that  "A  Day  and 
Night  School  will  be  open'd."^  On  November  23,  1761,  Thomas 
Johnson,  also  of  New  York  City  "begs  Leave  to  inform  the  Public 
that  he  has  this  Day  open'd  a  Day  and  Evening  School. "^  William 
Dawson,  of  Philadelphia,  advertised  "a  Day  and  Night  School," 
in  1760.^  There  were  many  masters,  however,  who  taught  only  in 
the  evening. 

The  records  do  not  contain  the  materials  for  a  complete  descrip- 
tion of  the  school-house,  or  its  equipment.  In  most  instances  they 
refer  to  "a  School,"  "an  Evening  School,"  or  "a  Night  School." 
Classes  were  often  conducted  in  a  "room,"  rented  for  that  purpose. 
William  Milne,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1751,  kept  a  "NIGHT  SCHOOL 
...  in  his  room,  up  an  outer  stair,  in  Albridge's  Alley,  at  the  sign 
of  St.  Andrew,  opposite  the  shop  of  Nathan  Trotter,  Blacksmith, 
in  Second-street,  between  Market  and  Chestnut-street."^  Another 
Philadelphia  evening  school,  in  1772,  was  provided  with  "two  large 
rooms  on  the  same  floor.""  John  Nathan  Hutchins,  of  New  York 
City,  in  1763,^  and  Ebenezer  Dayton,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  in 
1769,  also  had  two  rooms. ^  That  the  rooms  were  equipped  for  school 
purposes  is  indicated  by  James  Lyde,  of  New  York  City,  who  an- 
nounced, in  1730,  that  his  evening  school  would  meet  "at  the  Custom 
House  in  this  City  (where  a  convenient  Room  is  fitted  up)."^  Robert 
Leeth,  also  of  New  York  City,  gave  evening  instruction,  in   1751, 


IX.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Oct.  14,  1757. 

2N.  Y.  Mercury,  Nov.  23,  1761. 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  20,  Dec.  4,  1760. 

*Ibid,  Oct.  17,24,  1751. 

*Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1772. 

*N.  Y.  Mercury,  Apr.  25,  May  2,  1763:  "provided  with  two  convenient  Rooms. 

^Newport  Mercurv,  Feb.  27-Mar.  6,  1769:   "has  two  convenient  Rooms." 

8N.  Y.  Gazette,  Aug.  31-Sept.  7,  1730. 


[46] 


"in  a  large  commodious  Room  at  Mr.  Brown's  a  Taylor  in  Stone- 
Street."^ 

A  Philadelphia  evening  school  of  1745  was  housed  "In  the  Sail 
Loft,  late  belonging  to  Mr.  William  Chancellor."^"  Somewhat  more 
pretentious  was  the  establishment  of  "MR.  DOVE,  English  Pro- 
fessor at  the  Academy,"  in  Philadelphia,  who,  in  1752,  "finding 
his  former  house  too  little  for  the  number  of  his  boarders,"  acquired 
"Rock  Hall,  which  is  situated  in  a  wholesome  air,  for  the  reception  of 
young  gentlemen  at  board,  washing,  and  lodging. "^^ 

Frequently  the  evening  school  occupied  a  "School-House." 
William  Dawson,  and  John  Gladstone,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1756, 
conducteci  "an  Evening  School  ...  at  the  School-House  where  Mr. 
Stephen  Vidall  formerly  taught."'-  The  "New  School  House,  over 
against  the  New-Market,"  in  Philadelphia,  was  used  by  William 
Ranstead,  in  1756.^^  Other  Philadelphia  evening  school  masters 
met  their  classes  "At  the  SCHOOL  HOL^SE,  in  Second-Street. 
Near  the  Corner  of  Chestnut-street,"^^  "at  the  new  School-House  in 
Fifth-street,  a  few  doors  above  Market-street,"'-^  and  "at  the  OLD 
SCHOOL  HOUSE  in  Arch-street."'*'  A  Philadelphia  advertisement 
of  1766  announced  that  "AT  the  new  Academy,  in  second-street, 
near  Walnut-street,  on  Monday,  the  29th  Instant,  will  be  opened 
an  Evening  Seminary. "^'^  John  Wilson  informed  "The  PUBLIC" 
that  he  had  "opened  a  NIGHT  SCHOOL,"  in  1772,  "At  the  Academy 
in  Newark,  New  Castle-County."^^ 

As  in  the  case  of  most  school-houses,  throughout  the  colonial 
period,  these  were  erected  privately,  as  commercial  ventures,  and 
rented  to  schoolmasters.  A  Philadelphia  "Night  School,"  of  1760, 
used  "Mr.  William's  School-house,  in  Videll's  Alley,  Second-street."^^ 


9N.  Y.  Evening  Post,  May  27,  June  3,  1751. 

John  Searson  (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  29,  Oct.  6,  13, 
1755);  James  Wragg  fibid,  Apr.  7,  21,  May  5,  1755). 

loPennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug.  15,  22,  29,  1745. 

"Ibid,  Jan.  7,  14,  21,  Feb.  4,  18,  Mar.  3,  17,  Apr.  2,  May  7,  June  4,  18,  July,  2,  30, 
Aug.  30,  1752. 

i^Ibid,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  14,  1756. 

"Ibid,  Nov.  25,  1756. 

"Ibid,  Sept.  8,  Dec.  8,  22,  1757.   James  Cosgrove. 

i^Ibid,  Sept.  27,  1770.    Lazarus  Pine. 

'"Ibid,  Sept.  27,  1770.   Joseph  Stiles. 

William  Oliphant,  Phila.,  1770:  "an  EVENING  SCHOOL... at  the  OLD 
SCHOOL  HOUSE  in  Third-street."    (Ibid,  Sept.  27,  1770.) 

I'Ibid,  Sept.  18,  1766. 

"Ibid,  Dec.  9,  1772. 

"Robert  Kennedy,  John  Maxfield,  and  David  Kennedy.  (Ibid,  Sept.  18,  25, 
Oct.  2,  1760.) 

[47] 


Some  ot  the  masters  may  have  owned  the  hiiildings  which  they  oc- 
cupied. Robert  Gather,  oi  Phihidelphia,  in  1756,  offered  evening 
instruction  "at  his  School-house  in  Front-street,  on  Society-hill."-" 
The  phrases  "at  his'  School-House,"  and  "at  the  Subscriber's  school- 
house"   occur  frequently  in   evening  school   announcements. 

Occasionally  the  Town  School,  and  the  Town  Hall  were  rented  by 
evening  school  masters.  "Notice"  was  given  by  John  Vinal,  of  Bos- 
ton, in  1756,  "That  an  EVENING  SCHOOL  will  be  opened  the 
Third  Day  of  October  at  the  South  Writing  School. "^^  Twenty  years 
later,  John  Vinal  appeared  in  Newburyport,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  conducted  an  "EVENING  SCHOOL  ...  at  the  North  School 
House.""  In  the  same  year,  Nicholas  Pike,  also  of  Newburyport, 
announced  that  he  would  "open  his  EVENING  SCHOOL  at  the 
Town  House. ""^  John  Sims,  "Schoolmaster  in  the  Town-School," 
of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  in  1759,  met  his  evening  classes  in  the 
same  building.-^ 


^''Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Mar.  25,  1756. 

^'Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  Sept.  13,  27,  1756. 

Boston  Post  Boy  and  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  9,  1758. 

^Essex  Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776. 

23Ibid,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776. 

^^Newport  Mercury,  May  22,  June  5,  1759. 

[48] 


I 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  SCHOOLMASTERS 

From  a  professional  standpoint,  there  was  nothing  peculiar  about 
the  masters  of  the  evening  schools.  They  were  respectable  members 
of  the  teaching  profession  of  the  period,  and,  as  such,  possessed  the 
qualifications  that  were  accepted  at  that  time.  Many  of  them  appear 
to  have  had  adequate  preparation  for  their  calling. 

Some  were  college  graduates:  John  Walton,  of  New  York  City, 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  was  "late  of  Yale  Colledge,"^ 
and  Anthony  Fiva,  also  of  New  York  City,  that  he  had  "had  an 
academical  education."^  Nicholas  Pike,  of  Newburyport,  Massa- 
chusetts, graduated  from  Harvard  with  the  class  of  1766,^  and  John 
Beard,  of  Philadelphia,  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania.^ John  Heffernan,  of  Philadelphia,  advertised  himself  as 
"formerly  of  the  College,  and  lately  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania."^ 

Others  were  teachers  of  experience,  and  made  announcement  of 
this  qualification  in  their  public  notices.  Andrew  Lamb,  of  Philadel- 
phia, had  "taught  Navigation,  and  kept  a  Journal  above  40  Years. "^ 
A  New  York  City  schoolmaster,  who  opened  an  evening  school  in 
1775,  had  "taught  French  and  other  Languages  with  good  success, 
in  Boston,  and  Newport  in  Rhode  Island."   He  added  that  he  "would 


^Graduated  from  Yale  in  1720.  American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31, 
Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723. 

^Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser, July  22,  Aug.  12,  Dec.  9,  16,  1773. 

John  Haumaid  had  had  "a  regular  education,"  (N.  Y.  Gazette  and  Weekly 
Mercury,  Sept.  21,  1772.) 

'Essex  Journal  and  N.  H.  Packet,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776. 

^Class  of  1759.   (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  8,  15,  22,  1783.) 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  14,  1774. 

«Ibid,  Oct.  23,  Nov.  6,  1755. 

Charles  Fortesque,  Phila.,  1743:  "late  Free-School  Master  of  Chester."  (Ibid, 
Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,  6,  15,  20,  1743.) 

Joseph  Ward,  Boston,  1772:  "has  spent  many  Years  in  teaching  Youth."  (Mass. 
Gazette  and  Boston  Weekly  News  Letter,  Oct.  1,  15,  1772.) 

Nathanael  Piatt,  Phila.,  1742,  had  been  "Usher  to  the  late  Alexander  Buller." 
(Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Mar.  31,  Apr.  8,  1742.) 


[49] 


be  glad  to  meet  in  New  York  the  same  encouragement."^  James 
Cosgro\'e,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1755,  "who  lately  taught  for  Mr.  Dove 
.  .  .  professes  to  teach  the  Latin  tongue,  by  the  newest  and  most 
effectual  methods,  as  he  has  not  only  been  assistant  to  many  worthy 
professors  thereof,  but  also  practised  anci  taught  the  same  for  some 
years,  to  the  Approbation  of  his  employers,  and  others  skilled 
therein."*  The  advertisements  contain  many  statements  to  the  effect 
that  the  masters  had  been  "employed  some  years  in  the  Instruction 
of  Youth,"  or  had  "for  some  Years  kept  a  private  School  in  this  City." 
A  New  York  City  master,  in  1772,  thought  "it  unnecessary  to  say 
anything  respecting  his  abilities  as  a  teacher,  the  bare  mention  of  his 
having  under  his  tuition  the  principal  students  of  King's  College  .  .  . 
together  with  his  having  a  regular  education  fully  bespeaks  his  abili- 
ties as  a  teacher."^ 

Four  of  the  evening  school  masters  became  teachers  in  the 
Philadelphia  x'\cademy.  In  1750,  the  trustees  appointed  Theophilus 
Grew  to  teach  mathematics,  and  David  James  Dove  as  "English 
Master."  Dove  had  "taught  grammar  sixteen  years  at  Chichester  in 
England. "^°  Horace  Jones,  who  had  been  associated  with  Grew  in  an 
evening  school  venture,  was  appointed,  in  1752,  as  his  assistant  in  the 
Academy.  In  1753,  Andrew  Morton  was  engaged  as  tutor  in  the 
Latin  School  of  the  Academy,  where  he  served  for  six  years. 

Most  of  those  who  taught  in  the  evening  were  also  masters  of 
day  schools.  Records  of  such  instances  are  very  numerous.  Occasion- 
ally, a  town-school  master  may  have  been  given  permission  to  offer 
evening  classes  as  a  private  venture.  John  Sims,  "Schoolmaster  in  the 
Town  School"  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  in  1759,  proposed  to  open 
an  evening  school  in  the  town  school  house. ^^ 


'Francis  Vandale  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and 
Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  26,  Nov.  9,  16,  1775.) 

John  Philipse,  New  York  City,  1758:  "had  the  Honour  of  Teaching  the  Royal 
Family."    (N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Jan.  30,  Feb.  6,  20,  Mar.  6,  1758.) 

Anthony  Fiva,  New  York  City,  1773:  "resided  many  years  in  Paris  and  Madrid, 
he  is  therefore  able  to  resolve  any  question  that  might  puzzle  his  scholars."  (Riving- 
ton's N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  July 
22,  Aug.  12,  Dec.  9,  16,  1773.)  Fiva,  1774:  "for  these  two  years  past  has  taught 
grammatically  in  this  city,  the  English,  French,  Spanish,  and  Italian  Languages,  con- 
stantly with  equal  success."    (Ibid,  May  19,  26,  1774.) 

sPennsvlvania  Gazette,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755. 

^N.  Y. 'Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Sept.  21,  1772. 

lofienjamin  Franklin,  in  a  letter  to  Samuel  Johnson,  Dec.  24,  1751  (Beardsley, 
E.  E.  Life  and  Correspondence  of  Samuel  Johnson,  D.  D.,  1874,  p.  166). 

"Newport  Mercury,  May  22,  June  5,  1759. 

[SO] 


In  some  of  the  announcements  attention  is  directed  to  the  moral 
qualifications  of  the  masters;  they  were  men  "of  sober  character,  and 
qualifieci  for  the  business,"  or  "of  good  character."  Some  were 
ministers,  or  ex-ministers. 

Many  of  the  masters  who  offered  the  practical  courses  were  able 
to  give  their  students  the  benefit  of  vocational  experience.  James 
Lamb,  of  New  York  City,  in  1768,  announced  that  "as  he  has  had 
16  Years  Experience  at  Sea,  fiatters  himself  he  can  render  Naviga- 
tion (in  some  Measure)  familiar  to  the  young  Navigator  the  first 
Voyage."^"  A  Philadelphia  teacher  of  navigation,  in  1755,  also  claimed 
"great  and  long  Experience  at  Sea,  both  on  board  the  Royal  Navy, 
and  Merchant  Ships. "^^  Another  Philadelphian,  who  taught  book- 
keeping, in  1783,  "was  regularly  bred  to  mercantile  business,  and 
several  years  in  the  practical  part  of  book-keeping,  in  capital  houses 
of  trade  in  Europe."^'* 

The  teaching  staff  in  most  of  the  evening  schools  consisted  of 
one  master.  Schools  with  two  teachers  were  not  uncommon,  however, 
in  New  York  City,  and  Philadelphia.  In  a  New  York  City  evening 
school,  in  1747,  Thomas  Metcalfe  had  charge  of  "Reading,  Writing, 
Arithmetic,  Mathematics,  &c.,"  while  his  partner  taught  "at  the 
same  place,  in  a  separate  Apartment  .  .  .  Greek,  Latin,  Rhetoric, 
Prosody. "'■*  "In  order  to  do  sufficient  Justice  to  all  who  please  to 
employ  him,"  Alexander  Power,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1766,  "chose 
for  a  partner  Mr.  JOHN  DOWNEY,  a  Gentleman  of  good  Character, 
and  perhaps  the  ablest  Mathematician  who  teaches  in  thisProvince."'^ 
Power  was  assisted,  in  1772,  by  his  brother  William.^^  One  of  the 
brothers,  whose  first  name  is  not  indicated  in  the  record,  was  in 
partnership,  in  1771,  with  Matthew  Maguire.^*  The  records,  at  hand, 

12N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Dec.  12,  1768. 

i^PennsvIvania  Gazette,  Oct.  23,  Nov.  6,  1755. 

i^Ibid,  Nov.  12,  19,  1783.    George  Fitzgerald. 

i^N.  Y.  Evening  Post,  Aug.  3,  1747. 

Also  in  New  York  City:  Benjamin  Leigh,  and  Garrat  Noel,  1751  (N.  Y.  Gazette 
Revived  in  the  Weeklv  Post  Bov,  Jan.  21,  28,  1751);  Edward  Willett,  and  George 
Adams,  1758  (N.  Y.  Gazette,  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Aug.  14,  28,  Sept.  4,  1758);  James, 
and  Samuel  Giles,  1759  (Parker's  N.  Y.  Gazette,  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  .■\pr.  30,  May 
14,  21,  28,  1759);  Gollen,  and  Mountain,  1774  (Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn., 
N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Advertiser,  Oct.  6,  1774). 

'^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  2,  9,  1766. 

Andrew  Porter,  Phila.,  1771,  had  "a  well  qualified  assistant."  (Ibid,  Nov.  21, 
1771.) 

Also  in  Phila:  N.  Walton,  and  W.  Hetherineton,  1745  (Ibid,  Aug.  15,  22,  29, 
1745);  Theophilus  Grew,  and  Horace  Jones,  1753  (Ibid,  Sept.  20,  27,  1753);  William 
Dawson,  and  lohn  Gladstone,  1756  (Ibid,  Apr.  15,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  14,  1756). 

I'Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1772. 

i^Ibid,  Sept.  12,  1771. 

[51] 


reveal  but  two  evening  schools,  both  in  Philadelphia,  which  had 
more  than  two  teachers:  one,  in  1757,  conducted  by  "JAMES 
COSGROVE  with  Assistants,"!^  and  the  other,  in  1760,  by  Robert 
Kennedy,  John  Maxfield,  and  David  Kennedy .^° 

It  was  not  unusual  for  schoolmasters  to  engage  in  remunerative 
employments  during  their  "spare  time."  Many  must  have  found  it 
necessary  to  supplement  incomes  derived  from  tuition-fees. 

The  book-store,  for  school-texts,  and  other  books,  was  a  common 
adjunct  of  the  school.  This  enterprise  may  have  suggested,  occasion- 
ally, the  sale  of  other  commodities.  Not  infrequently  the  records 
refer  to  evening  school  masters  who  sold  quills,  slates,  compasses, 
stationery,  ink-powder,  "instruments  for  marking  linen,"  rum, 
brandy,  "sweeted  chocolate,"  tobacco,  snuff,  "fever  pills,"  and  flax.^^ 
"Book-binding  of  all  sorts  ...  in  the  best  Manner  was  done  by  two 
Philadelphia  masters:  John  Schuppy,  1743-1745,^^  and  William 
Dawson,  in  1756.^^ 

Three  of  the  masters,  mentioned  in  this  study,  were  authors  of 
text-books.  "The  Youth's  entertaining  Amusement,  or  a  plain 
Guide  to  Psalmody,"  by  William  Dawson,  appeared  in  Philadelphia, 
in  1754.  Two  masters  of  Newburyport,  Massachusetts,  who  taught 
before  the  Revolution,  published  arithmetics  early  in  the  state 
period:  "A  New  and  complete  system  of  arithmetic,"  by  Nicholas 
Pike,  in  1788,  and  John  Vinal's  "Preceptor's  Assistant,"  in  1792. 
Christopher  Colles,  of  Philadelphia,  occasionally  published  the 
lectures  that  he  gave  on  geography,  pneumatics,  and  hydraulics. 

"Merchants,  attorneys,  and  others"  frequently  employed  trans- 
lators to  handle  their  foreign  correspondence.  It  was  but  natural 
that  they  should  turn  to  schoolmasters  for  this  service.  Garrat 
Noel,  of  New  York  City,  announced,  in  1751,  that  he  "translates 
Spanish  in  the  most  faithful  and  exact  Manner."-'*  Thomas  Ross, 
in  1754,  translated  French,  Low  Dutch,  and  Latin. -'^    Another  New 


"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  8,  Dec.  8,  22,  1757. 

^oibid,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  1760. 

siPhila:  William  Milne,  1751;  William  Dawson,  1756;  Jacob  Ehrenzeller,  1756; 
Francis  Daymon,  1771-1777;  John  Beard,  1783. 

New  York  City:  Garrat  Noel,  1755;  William  Cockburn,  1764;  George  Robinson, 
1770. 

Boston:   Pelham. 

^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  16,  24,  Dec.  1,  15,  1743;  Sept.  20,  27,  1744;  Sept. 
26,  1745. 

nWid,  Apr.  15,  1756. 

2^N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  2,  9,  16,  23,  1751. 

25N.  Y.  Mercury,  Oct.  7,  1754. 

[52] 


!1! 

York  City  master,  Anthony  Fiva,  who  kept  an  evening  school,  in 
1773,  for  instruction  in  French,  Spanish,  and  Italian,  translated 
"from  anyone  of  the  aforesaid  languages  into  English,  or  either  of  the 
two  others,  with  accuracy,  dispatch,  and  secrecy  for  attorneys, 
merchants,  &c."^''  Jacob  Lawn,  master  of  a  "French  Night  School, 
in  Philadelphia,  "also  translates  the  German,  French  and  English 
languages. "^^ 

Two  New  York  City  masters,  in  1764,  sought  employment, 
during  their  spare  time,  as  surveyors.  Samuel  Giles  advertised  that 
"Draughts  and  Surveys  of  Lands  are  made,  or  copied  by  him  in  the 
neatest  Manner,  on  Paper  or  Parchment,  and  Writing  done  at  reason- 
able Prices,"-^  and  William  Cockburn  that  "Gentlemen  may  also 
have  their  Estates  surveyed,  and  plans  made  in  the  neatest  Manner. "^^ 

Occasionally,  schoolmasters  appeared  as  public  accountants,  or 
auditors.  William  Dawson  styled  himself  "Writing  Master  and 
Accomptant,"^°  and  Alexander  Power  "posts  Books,  and  settles 
Executors  Accompts  &c.  in  his  spare  Time."^^  Robert  Leeth,  "School- 
master and  Scrivener,"  of  New  York  City,  added  the  following  to 
his  announcement  of  May  27,  1751:  "Writings  also  of  all  Sorts 
fairly  transcrib'd,  engross'd  or  exemplified,  as  well  as  Accompts 
drawn  out,  inspected,  settled  and  truly  adjusted. "^^ 

Schoolmasters  were  in  constant  demand  as  scriveners,  and 
copyists.  Those  who  were  expert  penmen  were  frequently  called 
upon  to  draw  up,  and  copy  wills,  conveyances,  contracts,  and  other 
public  documents.  Garrat  Noel  advertised  that  he  "draws  Writings 
of  any  Sort  in  an  authentic  Manner,  or  will  copy  Letters  or  any 
Writings  for  Gentlemen  or  others,  with  the  utmost  Secresie  and 
Dispatch,"^''  and  Nicholas  Barrington,  that  he  "Also  writes  for 
Gentlemen  between  Schools,  Bills,  Indentures,  Bonds,  Leases,  Deeds 
of  Sale,  Wills, &c.  at  very  reasonable  Rates. "^^  "Deeds  of  Conveyances 


25Rivington's  N.  Y.  Gazetteer,  or  Conn.,  N.  J.,  H.  R.,  and  Quebec  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser, July  22,  Aug.  12,  Dec.  9,  16,  1773. 

^'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  24,  1783. 

28N.  Y.  Gazette,  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  12,  1764. 

^qbid,  Jan.  12,  Feb.  16,  1764. 

sopennsvlvania  Gazette,  Sept.  19,  Oct.  10,  1754. 

^iJbid,  Oct.  2,  9,  1766. 

32N.  Y.  Evening  Post,  May  27,  June  3,  1751.  _ 

John  Fouquet,  Charleston,  S.  C,  1744:  "Writings  fairly  engrossed  or  copied." 
(S.  C.  Gazette,  Nov.  12,  19,  1744.) 

33N.  Y.  Gazette  Revived  in  the  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Sept.  2,  9,  16,  23,  1751. 

«Ibid,  Nov.  13,  1752. 


[53] 


and   other  Instruments"   were   also   "authentically   drawn"   by   N. 
Walton,    and    W.   Hetherington.^^ 

An  interesting  criticism  of  this  common  practice  was  published 
by  Hugh  Hughes,  of  New  York  City,  in  the  announcement  of  his  in- 
tention to  open  a  "Morning  and  Evening  School,"  in  1767.  "Whoever 
is  pleased  to  favour  this  Scheme,  may  depend  on  being  served  with 
F'idelity;  as  there  will  be  no  Deeds,  Bills,  Bonds,  &c.  or  any  Kind  of 
Writing  done,  but  such  as  will  have  a  direct  Tendency  to  promote  the 
general  Good  of  the  School,  which  has  constantly  been  the  principal 
View  ot  the  Instructor,  and  on  which  Account  he  has  rejected  every 
Thing  that  he  thought  would  be  incompatible  with  the  Duty  of  a 
Teacher. "''^•^  This  may  have  been  merely  another  form  of  advertis- 
ing. 


^^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Aug.  15,  22,  29,  1745. 

P.  Webster,  Phila.,  1766:     "does  all  Sorts  of  Conveyancing."    (Ibid,  Dec.  18, 
1766.) 

3«N.  Y.  Gazette,  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  16,  23,  30,  May  7,  14,  21,  June  4,  1767. 

[54] 


I 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  STUDENTS 

All  classes  in  colonial  society  patronised  the  evening  schools. 
According  to  the  sources,  at  hand,  they  were  attended  by  "young 
Gentlemen  and  others,"  and  "young  Ladies."  In  most  of  the  public 
notices  of  the  schools  the  term  "young  Gentlemen"  referred  to  all 
young  men.  Properly  speaking,  however,  this  title  was  enjoyed  only 
by  youths  of  independent  economic  status,  or  the  sons  of  well-to-do 
parents. 

A  certain  number  of  such  young  men,  never  very  large  in  the 
colonial  period,  were  destined  to  enter  college.  They  might  prepare 
for  the  entrance  examinations  in  the  evening,  as  well  as  in  the  day 
schools.  James  Cosgrove,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1757,  offered  courses  of 
instruction  "sufficient  to  fit  them  for  .  .  .  college."^  Many  of  the 
well-informed  men  in  the  American  colonies,  however,  did  not  attend 
the  colleges,  but  received  their  formal  training  in  private  schools  of 
sub-collegiate  rank.  An  appreciable  number  ot  the  evening  schools 
offered  instruction  in  all  the  subjects  of  the  college  curriculum  of  the 
day.  A  school  of  this  type  was  kept  by  John  Walton,  in  New  York 
City,  in  1723,  who  announced  that  "if  any  Young  Gentlemen  of  the 
City  will  please  to  come  in  the  Evening  and  make  some  Tryal  of  the 
Liberal  Arts,  they  may  have  oppertunity  of  Learning  the  same 
Things  which  are  commonly  Taught  in  CoUedges."- 

Most  evening  school  students  were  employed  during  the  day. 
Many  of  the  advertisements  were  definitely  addressed  to  "those  who 
cannot  come  in  the  Day  time,"^  "Persons  as  have  not  Leisure  to 
attend  at  the  customary  School-Hours, "■*  or  "young  men  that  are 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  8,  Dec.  8,  22,  1757. 

^American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  17-24,  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1723. 

^Theophilus  Grew,  Phila.,  1734-1735.  (American  Weekly  Mercury,  Oct.  3-10, 
17-24,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  Dec.  5-12,  1734;  Oct.  16-23,  1735.) 

Peter  de  Prefontaine,  Phila.,  1746:  "an  evening  school  for  the  instruction  ot  those 
who  cannot  come  in  the  day-time."    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  30,  1746.) 

Francis  Davmon,  Phila.,  1773:  "for  those  who  cannot  conveniently  attend  in 
the  Day  Time."  '  (Ibid,  Nov.  17,  1773.) 

^James,  and  Samuel  Giles,  New  York  Citv,  1759.  (Parker's  N.  Y.  Gazette,  or 
Weekly  Post  Boy,  Apr.  30,  May  14,  21,  28,  1759.) 

Dunlap  Adems,  New  York  Citv,  1763:  "Those  who  cannot  spare  time  in  the 
day  time."    (N.  Y.  Mercury,  Jan.  10,'  17,  24,  May  9,  16,  1763.) 

Charles  Shimmin,  Salem,  Mass.,  1772:  "all  Persons  that  cannot  attend  in  the 
Day  Time."    (Essex  Gazette,  Dec.  8-15,  15-22,  1772.) 

[55] 


engaged  in  business  in  the  day."^  Apprentices,  and  others  engaged 
in  occupational  activities,  took  advantage  of  this  opportunity  of 
improving  themselves  in  the  technique  of  their  vocations.  James 
Cosgrove,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1755,  announced  that  "apprentices  and 
others  may  be  taught  at  the  usual  hours  of  evening  schools;"^  and 
John  Heffernan,  in  1774,  that  he  had  "opened  a  Night  School  .  .  . 
where  a  few  of  the  emulous  sons  of  industry  will  be  occasionally 
attended  to,  with  vigilance  and  assiduity."'^  To  these  the  evening 
school  offered  the  means  of  qualifying  for  advancement,  or  of  pre- 
paring to  change  from  one  kind  of  employment  to  another. 

The  evening  school  also  made  it  possible  for  those  "whose  busi- 
ness may  prevent  them  from  attending  in  the  day"  to  receive  instruc- 
tion in  the  liberal,  or  cultural  subjects.  A  Philadelphia  advertisement 
of  September  18,  1766  announces  an  "Evening  Seminary,"  in  which 
"Those  whose  Employment  or  Business  will  not  admit  of  daily 
receiving  polite  Education,  may  be  taught  the  Languages."^ 

Records  indicating  that  girls,  and  young  women,  attended  the 
evening  schools  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  In  some  of  the  schools 
they  sat  with  the  boys,  in  others  they  were  instructed  "in  classes 
apart."  Alexander,  and  William  Power,  of  Philadelphia,  gave  notice, 
in  1772,  that  "Girls  will  be  admitted  at  night  school,  and  have  a  con- 
venient place  for  themselves."^  Jeremiah  Theus,  of  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  announced,  in  1744,  "to  all  young  Gentlemen  and  Ladies 
inclinable  to  be  taught  the  Art  of  DRAWING,  That  an  Evening 
School  for  that  Purpose  will  be  open'd  of  the  first  of  November  next, 
at  my  House  in  Friend  Street,  where  every  Branch  of  that  Art  will  be 
taught  ^ith  greatest  Exactness."^"  In  a  Salem,  Massachusetts,  notice, 
of  October  25-November  1,  1774,  "The  young  LADIES  and  GEN- 
TLEMEN of  the  Town  are  informed  that  Mr.  Hopkins  intends  to 


sjohn  Beard,  Phila.,  1783.    (Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Oct.  8,  15,  22,  1783.) 

Pelham,  Boston,  1748:  "for  the  Benefit  of  those  emplov'd  in  Business  all  the 
Day."    (.Boston  Evening  Post,  Sept.  12,  19,  26,  1748.) 

John  Nathan  Hutchins,  New  York  City,  1763:  "Young  Gentlemen,  &c.  that 
cannot  attend  at  other  times."    (N.  Y.  Mercury,  Apr.  25,  May  2,  1763.) 

^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Feb.  4,  18,  1755. 

'Ibid,  Sept.  14,  1774. 

«Ibid,  Sept.  18,  1766. 

9Ibid,  Sept.  30,  1772. 

Francis  Daymon,  Phila.,  1771.    (Ibid,  Sept.  5,  1771.) 

"South  Carolina  Gazette,  Nov.  5,  1744. 

Nathaniel,  and  Mary  Gittens,  Charleston,  S.  C,  1744:  "an  Evening  School. . . 
for  writing,  arithmetic,  and  young  Ladies  to  draw."    (Ibid,  Sept.  17,  1744.) 

[56] 


open  an  Evening  School,  Monday  next,  at  7  o'clock.""  John  VInal,  of 
Newburyport,  Massachusetts,  in  1776,  announced  that  he  "Intends 
to  begin  his  EVENING  SCHOOL  for  Youth  of  both  Sexes  the 
first  Monday  Evening  in  November  next,  at  the  North  School  House. "^^ 

As  may  be  expected,  there  were  many  evening  schools  "for  the 
reception  of  young  Ladies  only."  Ebenezer  Dayton,  of  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  in  1768,  kept  a  "morning  and  evening  school  .  .  . 
wholly  for  the  Instruction  of  Young  Ladies. "^^  An  announcement  by 
William  Dawson,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1753,  and  repeated  with  but 
slight  variation  in  1755,  and  1756,  may  be  of  interest: 

On  Monday,  the  ninth  of  April  instant  (by  permission  ot  Providence) 
will  be  opened, 

A  School  to  teach  writing  in  all  the  hands  of  use;  arithmetic,  vulgar  and  decimal; 
merchants  accounts;  psalmody,  by  a  proper  and  regular  method;  for  the  amusement  of 
such  young  ladies  as  are  pleased  to  employ  the  summer  evenings  in  those  useful  and 
necessary  exercises,  from  the  hour  of  5  to  8;  carefully  taught,  in  Third-street,  near  the 
New  Presbyterian  Church,  by  WILLIAM  DAWSON.^* 

In  his  notice  of  1755,  Dawson  states  that  "accounts"  will  be  taught 
"by  way  of  single  entry. "^^  Robert  Gather,  in  the  following  year, 
proposed  "to  open  an  Evening  School  .  .  .  for  the  instruction  of 
young  Ladies,  in  writing  and  arithmetic,  and  to  improve  them  in  the 
rules  of  spelling  and  reading  with  propriety, "^^  and  Joseph  Garner, 
also  of  Philadelphia,  in  1766,  announced  an  "Evening  School,  on  the 
first  of  April  next,  for  the  Reception  of  young  Ladies  only,  where 
will  be  taught  English  grammatically.  Writing,  Accounts. "^'^ 

It  must  not  be  inferred,  from  the  sources  quoted  in  the  preced- 
ing paragraph,  that  the  "young  Ladies"  were  limited  in  their  choice 
of  subjects.  The  Schoolmasters  gave  instruction  in  such  courses  as 
were  demanded  in  the  evening.  Day  school  announcements  indicate 
that  all  of  the  courses  offered  the  boys  were  open  to  election  by  the 
girls,  if  they  so  desired. 


"Essex  Gazette,  Oct.  25-Nov.  1,  1774. 

Samuel  Wadsworth,  Salem,  1773  (Ibid,  Jan.  26-Feb.  2,  1773). 

Mr.  Munson,  Salem,  1773  (Ibid,  Sept.  7-14,  1773). 

Peter  Donworth,  Marblehead,  1774  (Ibid,  Feb.  8-15,  15-22,  1774). 

^Essex  Journal  and  N.  H.  Packet,  Oct.  25,  Nov.  1,  1776. 

Hugh  Hughes,  New  York  City,  1767:  "It  is  imagined  that  this  Plan  may  suit 
some  of  both  Sexes,  who  attend  other  Places  of  Education  at  different  Periods,  for 
other  Purposes."  (N.  Y.  Gazette,  or  Weekly  Post  Bov,  Apr.  16,  23,  30,  May  7,  14,  21, 
June  4,  1767.) 

"Newport  Mercury,  Oct.  24-31,  Oct.  31-Nov.  7,  1768. 

W.  Harris,  New  London,  Connecticut,  1776  (Conn.  Gazette  and  Universal  In- 
telligencer, May  14,  1776). 

"Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Apr.  5,  12,  May  3,  31,  June  14,  28,  1753. 

'^Ibid,  Apr.  10,  1755:   "an  evening  school  for  voung  Ladies,  &c." 

i«Ibid,  Mar.  25,  1756. 

i^Ibid,  Feb.  13,  1766. 

[57] 


CHAPTER  IX 
CONCLUSION 

The  evening  schools  were  important  institutions  in  the  American 
colonies.  Their  varied  curricula,  including  both  liberal  and  vocational 
courses,  were  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of  "those  who  cannot  come 
in  the  Day  Time."  During  these  "convenient  hours,"  a  large  number 
of  young  men  and  women  must  have  begun  and  ended  their  formal 
schooling.  For  others,  the  evening  schools  solved  the  problem  ot 
continuative  education;  they  were,  in  that  sense,  the  continuation 
schools  of  the  colonial  period. 

In  their  extension  of  educational  opportunity  to  those  who  were 
engaged  in  occupational  activities  during  the  day,  they  were,  neces- 
sarily, democratic  in  character.  They  appeared  in  large  numbers,  and 
competition  was  keen  to  obtain  and  hold  students.  To  all  who  could 
afford  the  small  fees,  they  offered  the  opportunity  of  receiving  in- 
struction in  any  subject  desired.  There  was  no  prescribed  course  of 
study  to  be  taken  by  all;  the  students  might  pursue  as  many,  or  as 
few,  subjects  as  they  wished.  The  comprehensive  curricula  satisfied 
the  requirements  of  those  who  had  called  the  schools  into  existence, 
and  kept  pace  with  their  expanding  interests  and  demands.  Addi- 
tions were  made  to  the  courses  of  study  as  soon  as  they  were  indicated 
by  popular  needs. 

Essentially  city  institutions,  they  were  most  numerous  at  the 
seaports.  In  these  centers  of  population,  the  diversified  interests  of 
the  trades,  and  of  commerce  both  on  land  and  sea,  made  their  special 
demands  on  the  schools.  The  schoolmasters  responded  by  offering 
the  "practical  Branches,"  which  early  became  the  most  popular 
courses  in  the  evening  schools.  Thomas  Carroll,  of  New  York  City, 
in  1766,  conducted  "a  night  school  .  .  .  where  young  men  may  be 
.  .  .  qualified  for  business,  either  as  mechanic,  merchant,  seaman, 
engineer,  &c.,"  and  James  Cosgrove,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1757,  pro- 
posed "to  fit  them  for  the  Sea,  the  College,  or  the  Counting-house." 
Merchants,  engineers,  and  shipowners  soon  began  to  demand  that 
the  young  men  entering  their  employ  have  this  technical  preparation. 
The  evening  schools  played  a  significant  part  in  raising  the  entrance 
requirements  of  many  pursuits.     Trade  training,  as  such,  was  pro- 

[58] 


I 


vided  by  the  apprenticeship  system,  but  that  institution  could  not 
supply  the  higher,  theoretical  instruction  that  was  now  needed  to 
prepare  apprentices  for  the  vocations. 

The  evening  schools  in  the  English  colonies  were  private  ven- 
tures. Town  schools,  and  others  supported  by  public  moneys,  were 
kept  only  during  the  day.  That  this  extension  of  educational  oppor- 
tunity was  a  public  responsibility,  did  not  enter  the  colonial  con- 
sciousness. It  was  left  to  individual  initiative,  and  private  enterprise 
to  meet  the  situation  created  by  the  new  demands  that  were  made  on 
the  schools. 

Established  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  continuing,  without 
interruption,  to  the  present  day,  they  have  played  a  prominent  part 
in  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  providing  education  for  all  classes. 
The  essential  characteristics  of  evening  school  practice  at  the  present 
time  find  their  origins  in  the  colonial  period. 


[59] 


APPENDIX  A 
ILLUSTRATIVE   EVENING   SCHOOL   ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Philadelphia,  1743 

To  be  TAUGHT  by  CHARLES   FORTESQUE, 
late  Free-School-Master  of  Chester,  at  his  House,  in  the 
Alley  commonly  called 
Mr.  Tayiors 

THE  Latin  Tongue,  English  in  a  Grammatical  Manner,  Naviga- 
tion, Surveying,  Mensuration,  Dialling,  Geography,  Use  of  the 
Globes,  the  Gentleman's  Astronomy,  Chronology,  Arithmetic, 
Merchants  Accompts,  &c.  The  above  to  be  taught  at  Night  School 
as  well  as  Day — He  likewise  intends  for  the  future  to  instruct  his 
Latin  Scholars  in  Writing  himself. 

NOTE,  He  hath  private  Lodgings  for  single  Persons.^ 

Boston,  1748 

Mr.  Pelham's  Writing  and  Arithmetick  School,  near  the  Town 
House  (during  the  Winter  Season)  will  be  open  from  Candle-Light 
'till  Nine  in  the  Evening  as  usual,  for  the  Benefit  of  those  employ'd 
in  Business  all  the  Day;  and  at  his  Dwelling  House  near  the  Quaker's 
Meeting  in  Lindell's  Row,  All  Persons  may  be  supply'd  with  the  best 
Virginia  Tobacco  cut,  spun  into  the  very  best  Pigtail,  and  all  other 
Sorts;  also  Snuff,  at  the  cheapest  Rates. ^ 

New  York  City,  1753 

JOHN  LEWIS,  Schoolmaster,  in  Broad-Street,  has  begun 
NIGHT  SCHOOL,  and  teaches  Reading,  Writing,  Arithmetic, 
Navigation,  Surveying,  &:c.^ 


^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Nov.  24,  Dec.  1,6,  15,  20,  1743. 

^Boston  Evening  Post,  Sept.  12,  19,  26,  1748. 

3N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Oct.  8,  15,  Nov.  26,  Dec.  3,  1753. 


[60] 


New  York  City,  1755 

NOTICE  is  hereby  GIVEN  that 
JOHN  SEARSON 

Who  teaches  School  at  the  House  of  Mrs.  Coon  opposite  to  the 
Post  Office,  proposes  (God  Willing)  to  open  an  Evening  School,  on 
Thursday  the  25th  of  this  Instant  September;  where  may  be  learn'd 
Writing,  Arithmetic  Vulgar  and  Decimal,  Merchants  Accounts, 
Mensuration,  Geometry,  Trigonometry,  Surveying,  Dialling,  and 
Navigation  in  a  short,  plain,  and  methodical  Manner,  and  at  very 
reasonable  Rates.  Said  Searson  having  a  large  and  commodious 
Room,  together  with  his  own  diligent  Attendance,  the  Scholars 
will  have  it  in  their  Power  to  make  a  good  Progress  in  a  short  Time.'' 

Philadelphia,  1760 

Philadelphia,  September  18,  1760. 
NOTICE  is  hereby  given,  that  on  Monday,  the  6th  of  October, 
at  Mr.  William's  School-house,  in  Videll's  Alley,  Second-street,  will 
be  opened  a  Night  School,  and  there  taught  as  follows,  viz.  READ- 
ING, WRITING,  and  ARITHMETIC,  VULGAR  and  DECIMAL; 
BOOK-KEEPING  METHODIZED;  the  ELEMENTS  of  GEOM- 
ETRY and  TRIGONOMETRY,  with  their  Application  to  NAVI- 
GATION, SURVEYING,  DIALLING  &c.  ALGEBRA,  with  the 
Application  of  it  to  a  Variety  of  PROBLEMS  in  ARITHMETIC, 
GEOMETRY,  TRIGONOMETRY,  CONIC  SECTIONS,  and 
STEREOMETRY.  With  the  several  methods  of  solving  and  con- 
structing EQUATIONS  of  the  higher  kind.  By  ROBERT  KEN- 
NEDY, JOHN  MAXFIELD,  and  DAVID  KENNEDY. 
N.  B.   The  Latin  and  Greek  will  be  also  taught.^ 

New  York  City,  1765 

Taught  by  Thomas  Carroll,  At  his  Mathematical  School,  in 
Broad-street,  in  the  City  of  New  York. 

Writing,  Vulgar  and  Decimal  Arithmetic;  the  Extraction  of  the 
Roots;  Simple  and  Compound  Interest;  how  to  purchase  or  sell 
Annuities,  Leases  for  Lives,  or  in  Reversion,  Freehold  Estates,  &c. 
at  Simple  and  Compound  Interest;  the  Italian  Method  of  Book- 
keeping; Euclid's  Elements  of  Geometry;  Algebra  and  Conic  Sec- 

^N.  Y.  Gazette  or  Weekly  Post  Boy,  Sept.  15,  19,  29,  Oct.  6,  13,  1755. 
^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  18,  25,  Oct.  2,  1760. 

[61] 


tions;  Mensuration  of  Superficies  and  Solids,  Surveying  in  Theory, 
and  all  its  different  Modes  in  Practice,  with  two  universal  Methods 
to  determine  the  Areas  of  right  lined  Figures,  and  some  useful  Ob- 
servations on  the  whole;  Also  Gauging,  Dialling,  Plain  and  Spheric 
Trigonometry,  Navigation;  the  Construction  and  Use  of  the  Charts, 
and  Instruments  necessary  for  keeping  a  Sea-Journal  (with  a  Method 
to  keep  the  same,  were  the  Navigator  deprived  of  his  Instruments 
and  Books  &:c.  by  any  Accident)  the  Projection  of  the  Sphere,  ac- 
cording to  the  Orthographic  and  Stereographic  Principles;  Fortifi- 
cation, Gunnery,  and  Astronomy;  Sir  Isaac  Newton's  Laws  of  Mo- 
tion; the  Mechanical  Powers  viz.  The  Balance,  Lever,  Wedge, 
Screw  and  Axes  in  Peritrochio  explained,  Being  not  only  an  Intro- 
duction necessary  to  the  more  abstruse  Parts  of  Natural  and  Experi- 
mental Philosophy,  but  also  to  every  Gentleman  in  Business. 

He  will  lecture  to  his  Scholars,  every  Saturday,  on  the  different 
Branches  then  taught  in  his  School,  the  Advantage  of  which  may  in  a 
little  Time,  make  them  rather  Masters  (of  what  they  are  then  learn- 
ing) than  Scholars.  He  invites  Gentlemen  to  visit  his  School,  and  be 
Judges  of  the  progress  his  Pupils  will  make,  and  the  Benefit  they  must 
receive  from  him. 

He  will  attend  a  Morning  School  in  Summer  from  6  to  nine  for 
young  Ladies  only,  from  Nine  to  Twelve  and  from  Two  P.M.  to  Five 
for  all  others  who  choose  to  attend;  and  a  Night  School  from  Six  to 
Nine  for  young  Gentlemen;  or  he  will  divide  the  Time  in  any  other 
Way,  if  thought  more  agreeable.  Young  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  may 
be  instructed  in  the  more  easy  and  entertaining  Parts  of  Geography 
with  the  true  Method  of  drawing  the  Plan  of  any  Country  &c.  without 
which  they  cannot  properly  be  said  to  understand  that  useful  Branch 
of  Knowledge;  during  this  Course,  Care  will  be  taken  to  explain  the 
true  Copernican  or  Solar  System,  the  Laws  of  Attraction,  Gravita- 
tion, Cohesion  &c.  in  an  easy  and  familiar  manner,  and  if  he  is 
encouraged  to  purchase  proper  Apparatus,  he  will  exhibit  a  regular 
Course  of  experimental  Philosophy.  He  will  not  accept  any  but 
decent  Scholars,  nor  crowd  his  School  with  more  than  he  can  teach 
at  a  Time.  On  this  plan,  if  the  Gentlemen  of  this  City  are  con- 
vinced of  the  vast  Utility  it  must  be  to  the  Youth  here,  and  are  of  the 
Opinion  that  he  may  be  a  useful  Member  amongst  them,  and  en- 
courage him  as  such,  he  will  do  all  in  his  Power  to  merit  their  xAppro- 
bation,  and  give  general  Satisfaction;  but  if  otherwise,  he  will  accept 
of  any  Employment  in   the  writing  way,  settling  Merchants'  Ac- 

[62] 


counts,  drawing  Plans,  &  or  ot  a  decent  Place  in  the  Country  till  the 
Return  of  the  Vessels  from  Ireland,  to  which  he  has  warm  Invita- 
tions. He  must  observe  that  he  was  not  under  the  Necessity  of  com- 
ing here  to  teach,  he  had  Views  of  living  more  happy,  but  some  un- 
forseen  and  unexpected  Events  have  happened  since  his  Arrival  here, 
which  is  the  Reason  of  his  applying  thus  to  the  Publick. 

N.  B.  Mrs.  Carroll  proposes  teaching  young  Ladies  plain  work. 
Samples,  French  Quilting,  Knotting  for  Bed  Quilts,  or  Toilets, 
Dresden,  flowering  on  Cat  Gut,  Shading  (with  Silk,  or  Worsted)  on 
Cambrick,  Lawn,  and  Holland.'' 

Philadelphia,  1771 

An  Evening  School,  by  Maguire  and  Power,  will  be  opened  on 
Monday,  the  eighth  of  October  next,  at  the  School-room  ot  said 
Maguire,  in  Second-street,  near  Lodge-alley;  where  will  be  taught 
with  the  greatest  care  and  diligence,  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic; 
the  most  useful  branches  of  the  mathematics,  book-keeping,  geogra- 
phy; the  use  of  globes  and  maps;  and  how  to  make  maps.^ 

Newark,  Del.,  1772 

To  the  Public 
JOHN  WILSON 

At  the  Academy  in  Newark,  New-Castle  County;  has  opened 
A  NIGHT-SCHOOL 

Where  can  be  taught  English  reading  and  writing,  with  propriety 
and  elegance,  geography,  chronology,  arithmetic,  book-keeping, 
geometry,  and  the  construction  of  logarithms,  plain  and  spherical 
trigonometry,  mensuration  of  superficies  and  solids,  gauging,  dialling, 
fortification,  architecture,  navigation,  surveying,  the  projection  of  the 
sphere,  the  use  of  the  globes,  conic  sections,  gunnery,  algebra,  the 
theory  of  the  pendulums,  fluxions,  &c.  &c.  by 

JOHN  WILSON. 

A  young  man,  well  acquainted  with  the  English  tongue,  might 
have  a  course  of  mathematical  education,  for  attending  some  ot  the 


6N.  y.  Mercury,  May  6,  13,  20,  Sept.  30,  Oct.  7,  1765. 

Carroll's  notices  of  (Ibid)  May  19,  26,  1766  indicate  that  tlte  school  was  actually 
established. 

'Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  12,  1771. 

[63] 


lower  classes,  in  the  Day-school,  which  said  Wilson  continues,  at  the 
same  place,  as  usual. ^ 

New  York  City,  1781 
EDUCATION 
Evening  School,  by  Mr.  Davis 

in  Maiden  Lane,  No.  63. 

Where  is  taught  Reading,  a  grace  of  the  schools, 

Writing,  Arithmetic  by  easy  rules. 

Book-keeping,  Geometry,  too  very  plain. 

And  Navigation  to  steer  o'er  the  main: 

Surveying  and  Mensuration  as  well. 

With  rare  Algebra  to  make  you  excell. 

All  those — and  more  he  has  got  in  his  plan. 

To  rouse  the  genius,  and  furnish  the  man. 
The  Pupils  may  depend  on  an  easy,  elegant,  perspicuous  expli- 
cation of  things,  being  the  most  conducive  to  rouse  the  genius,  and 
invigorate  the  thought,  or  to  inspire  the  mind,  with  a  true  and  lively 
sense  of  what  is  taught,  which  cannot  fail  to  enrich  it  with  fruitful 
ideas;  and  as  they  shoot  will  not  only  be  cherished,  but  made  to 
flourish.^ 


^Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Dec.  9,  1772. 
sRoyal'Gazette,  Oct.  6,  1781. 

Appended  to  Mr.  Davis'  notice  of  1782,  in  the  New  York  Gazette  and  Weekly 
Mercury,  Jan.  7,  14,  Oct.  14,  21,  1782,  is  the  following: 
These  lively  fields  pure  pleasure  do  impart. 

The  fruit  of  science,  and  each  useful  art. 
Which  forms  the  mind,  and  clears  the  cloudy  sense, 

By  truth's  power.^ul  pleasing  eloquence. 
Ye  hopeful  youths,  be  sensible  of  this, 

O!  mark  the  fleeting  time  and  profer'd  bliss, 
The  only  time  when  learning  makes  its  way 

Thro'  dark  ignorance,  brightning  into  day: 
Bright'ning  into  day,  you'll  in  knowledge  shine 

Full  orb'd  with  widsom  to  the  human  mind 
Ye  hopeful  youths,  come  learn  what  he  has  told, 

Exalt  your  Minds,  and  be  what  ye  behold; 
While  Genius  soaring,  great  Heights  explore. 

And  grace  your  Talents  with  true  Beauties  o'er, 
Till  ornamented  with  the  Flowers  of  Truth, 

Ye  shine  bright  Patterns  for  unlearned  Youth. 

[64] 


APPENDIX  B 

ONE  HUNDRED   TYPICAL  EVENING   SCHOOL   CURRICULA 

1723-1770 

(Abbreviations:  accts.-  accounts,  alg.-  algebra,  arith.-  arithme- 
tic, astr.-  astronomy,  bk-kp.-  book-keeping  (cf.  mer.  accts.-  merchants 
accounts),  chr.-  chronology,  dial.-  dialling,  Eng.-  English,  eth.- 
ethics,  Fr.-  French,  gaug.-  gauging,  geog.-  geography,  geom.- 
geometry,  Ger.-  German,  gram.-  grammar,  Gr.-  Greek,  gun.-  gunnery, 
Heb.-  Hebrew,  hist.-  history,  Lat.-  Latin,  logs.-  logarithms,  logic, 
math.-  "mathematics,"  mens.-  mensuration,  met.-  metaphysics,  nat. 
phil.-  natural  philosophy,  nav.- navigation,  Port.- Portuguese,  read.- 
reading,  rhet.-  rhetoric,  Sp.-  Spanish,  spell.-  spelling,  ster.-stereome- 
try,  surv.-  surveying,  trig.-  trigonometry,  writ.-  writing.) 

1723  (Walton,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  geom.,  surv.,  Lat., 

Gr.,  Heb.,  eth.,  rhet.,  logic,  nat.  phil.,  met. 

1724  (Grainger,  Boston):    writ.,  accts.,  math. 

1727  (Grainger,  Boston):  writ.,  arith.,  bk-kp.,  nav. 

1730  (Lyde,  N.  Y.):  arith.,  geom.,  trig.,  nav.,  surv.,  gaug.,  alg. 

1734  (Grew,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,    alg.,    geom.,  surv., 

gaug.,  trig.,  nav.,  astr. 

1735  (Grew,  Phila.):    writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  alg.,  geom.,  surv., 

gaug.,  trig.,  nav.,  astr.,  "also  the  Use  of  Globes,  Maps, 
Planispheres,  Scales,  Sliding  Rules,  and  all  sorts  of  Mathe- 
matical Instruments." 

1741  (Pelham,  Boston):     w^it.,  arith. 

1742  (Piatt,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith. 

1743  (Crellius,  Phila.):  Ger. 
(Schuppy,  Phila.):  Fr.,  Ger. 

(Fortesque,  Phila.):   Lat.,  Eng.,  nav.,  surv.,  mens.,  dial.,  geog., 
globes,  astr.,  chr.,  arith.,  mer.  accts. 

1744  (Theus,  Charleston,  S.  C):    drawing. 
(Gittens,  Charleston):  writ.,  arith.,  drawing. 
(Fouquet,  Charleston):  Fr. 

(Grew,  Phila.):  geom.,  alg.,  nav.,  astr.,  surv.,  gaug. 
(Schuppy,  Phila.):  Ger. 

1745  (Walton,  and  Hetherington,  Phila.):    writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts. 

[65] 


1746  (de  Prefontaine,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith. 

1747  (Metcalfe,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  math. 

1748  (Pelham,  Boston):  writ.,  arith. 

1750  (Leigh,  and  Noel,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  bk-kp.,  nav., 

geog.,  globes,  Lat.,  Gr.,  Fr.,  Port.,  Sp.,  short  hand. 
(Evans,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith. 
(Wayne,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  Lat. 
(Noel,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  gram.,  arith.,  Sp. 

1751  (Leeth,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  Lat. 
(Milne,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  mens.,  spell. 

1752  (Barrington,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  mer.  accts. 
(Leeth,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith. 

1753  (Dawson,  Phila.):  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  nav.,  mens. 
(Mayor,  N.  Y.) :  Fr.,  Lat.,  Gr. 

(Grew,  and  Jones,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  accts.,  math. 

(Davenport,   Phila.):  writ.,   arith. 

(Lewis,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  surv. 

1754  (Stiles,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  nav. 

(Dawson,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  nav.,  gaug.,  mens., 

"with  the  use  of  the  Gunter's  sliding-rule." 
(Ross,  N.  Y.):  Fr.  Low-Dutch,  Lat.,  Eng.,  writ.,  read.,  arith. 
(Lewis,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  surv. 
(Mayor,  N.  Y.) :  Fr.,  Lat.,  Gr. 

1755  (Searson,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  mens.,  geom.,  trig., 

surv.,  dial.,  nav. 
(Wragg,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  nav.,  surv.,  mens., 

gaug.,  dial.,  astr. 
(Lamb,   Phila.):   writ.,   arith.,   mer.    accts.,   nav.,    trig.,   astr., 

surv.,  gaug. 
(Dawson,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  accts. 
(Cosgrove,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  Lat. 

1756  (Vinal,  Boston):  writ.,  arith.,  "&c.  &c." 
(Stiles,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  "&c.  &c." 
(Gather,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  spell.,  read. 

(Ranstead,    Phila.):    read,    writ.,    arith.,    nav.,    surv.,    mens., 

ster.,  gaug. 
(Ehrenzeller,  Phila.):  Ger. 

(Dawson,  and  Gladstone,  Phila.):  nav.,  writ.,  arith. 
(Wragg,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  nav.,  mens.,  surv., 

gaug.,  dial.,  astr.,  "ice." 

[66] 


1757  (Philipse,  N.  Y.):  Fr. 

(Willett,  N.  Y.):  read.,  arith.,  writ.,  mer.  accts. 
(Morton,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  alg. 
(Cosgrove,  Phila,):  spell.,  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  surv.,  nav., 
math.,  globes. 

1758  (Vinal,  Boston):  writ.,  arith.,  alg. 

(Willett,  and  Adams,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  gun., 
surv.,  mer.  accts. 

1759  (Jas.,  and  Sam.  Giles,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  mens.,  bk-kp.,  trig., 

nav.,  surv.,  gaug.,  alg.,  geom.,  conic  sections,  "&c." 
(Sims,  Newport,  R.  I.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  geom.,  trig.,  nav. 
(Vinal,  Boston):  arith.,  writ.,  alg.,  bk-kp. 

1760  (Oliphant,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  mens. 
(Kennedy,  Maxfield,  and  Kennedy,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith., 

bk-kp.,  geom.,  trig.,  nav.,  surv.,  dial.,  alg.,  conic  sections, 
ster. 
(Dawson,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  accts.,  geom.,  trig.,  nav., 
"with  the  solution  of  every  Problem  by  the  plain  or  sliding 
Gunter." 

1761  (Johnson,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts. 
(Bruce,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith. 

(Young,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  mer.  accts. 

(Oliphant,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  mens.,  "&c.  &c." 

1762  (Jas.  Giles,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  "&c.  &c." 
(Johnson,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts. 

1763  (Towel,  Newport):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  gaug. 

(Sam.  Giles,  N.  Y.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  trig.,  nav.,  surv., 

alg.,  geom.,  "&c.  &c." 
(Hutchins,  N.  Y.) :  writ.,  arith.,  geom.,  trig.,  surv.,  gaug.,  dial., 

mens.,  astr.,  nav.,  globes,  "the  use  of  all  Sorts  of  Charts, 

Plain  or  Globular." 
(Adems,  N.  Y.) :  writ. 

1763  (Howland,  Newport):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav. 

1764  (Cockburn,  N.  Y.):   arith.,  geom.,  mens.,  gaug.,   trig.,  nav., 

astr.,  geog.,  globes,  dial.,  gun.,  fortification. 
(Sam.  Giles,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  alg.,  trig., 
nav.,  surv. 

1765  (Carroll,  N.  Y.) :  writ.,  arith.,  bk-kp.,  geom.,  alg.,  conic  sections, 

mens.,  surv.,  gaug.,  dial.,  trig.,  nav.,  gun.,  astr.,  fortifica- 
tion. 

[67] 


1766  (Garner,  Phila.):  Eng.,  writ.,  accts. 
(McCain,  Phila.)'-  surv.,  nav. 
(Oliphant,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.  math. 

(Academy,  Phila.):  "the  languages,"  math.,  mer.  accts.,  writ., 

arith. 
(Thorne,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  mens.,  surv.,  gaug., 

nav. 
(Alex.  Power,  Phila.):  Eng.,  writ.,  arith.,  bk-kp.,  geom.,  mens., 

trig.,  surv.,  nav.,  geog.,  astr.,  alg.,  conic  sections.  Auctions. 
(Ehrenzeller,  Phila.):  Ger. 
(Webster,  Phila.):  geog.,  logic,  Eng. 
(Carroll,  N.  Y.) :  writ.,  arith.,  bk-kp.,  geom.,  alg.,  conic  sections. 

1767  (Griffith,  Boston):  writ.,  arith. 
(Hughes,  N.  Y.) :  writ.,  arith. 

1768  (Dayton,  Newport):  read.,  writ.,  arith. 
(Lamb,  N.  Y.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  nav. 
(Griffith,  Boston):  writ.,  arith. 

1769  (Dayton,  Newport):  read.,  writ.,  arith. 

1770  (Pine,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith. 

(Maguire,  Phila.):  read.,  writ.,  arith.,  accts. 

(Stiles,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  "&:c." 

(Oliphant,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  math.,  mer.  accts. 

(Ellison,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  nav.,  math. 

(Fentham,  Phila.):  Fr. 

(Thorne,  Phila.):  writ.,  arith.,  mer.  accts.,  mens.,  gaug.,  surv., 

nav. 
(Daymon,  Phila.):  Fr. 
(Ehrenzeller,  Phila.) :  Ger. 
(Robinson,  N.Y.):  bk-kp. 
(Girault,  N.  Y.):Fr. 


[68] 


I 


BULLETIN  NO.  25 


BUREAU  OF  EDUCATIONAL  RESEARCH 
COLLEGE  OF  EDUCATION 


REPORTING   EDUCATIONAL 
RESEARCH 

By 

Walter  S.  Monroe 
Director,  Bureau  of  Educational  Research 


Nell  Bomar  Johnston 

Assistant,  College  of  Education 


PRICE  50  CENTS 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS,  URBANA 

192S 


Vl. 


